Italian Divers’ Bodies Repatriated from Underwater Cave in Maldives

The remains of four Italian divers who died exploring an underwater cave in the Maldives were returned home early Saturday, according to a Maldivian government spokesperson. The divers, who went missing on May 14, were exploring a cave about 160 feet underwater in Vaavu Atoll. Earlier, the body of their diving instructor was found outside the cave and repatriated.

The recovery operation faced significant challenges, including the death of Mohamed Mahudhee, a Maldivian military diver involved in the recovery effort. The operation was initially halted after his death. Later, three Finnish expert divers joined the mission and found the bodies in the cave’s innermost chamber at a depth of approximately 200 feet, or 60 meters. In the Maldives, the recreational diving limit is generally 98 feet, or 30 meters.

Maldives President’s Spokesman Mohamed Hussain Shareef announced that two separate investigations have been launched. One will examine the death of the Italian divers, and the other will investigate Mahudhee’s death during the operation. Shareef mentioned that Italy is willing to share results if autopsies are conducted on the repatriated bodies.

Among those who died were Monica Montefalcone, an associate professor of ecology at the University of Genoa; her daughter, Giorgia Sommacal; marine biologist Federico Gualtieri; researcher Muriel Oddenino; and diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti. Government spokesperson Ahmed Shaam stated that the bodies were found close together, inside a chamber without an exit.

The CEO of Dan Europe, the Finnish group responsible for the recovery, suggested the divers might have become disoriented in the cave. He noted, “Considering that they had a very limited air supply and therefore only a few minutes at the bottom, there probably wasn’t even time for them to make numerous attempts to find the correct exit.”