Maldivian Diver Dies While Attempting To Recover Bodies Of Italian Divers From Deep-Sea Cave

A Maldivian military diver tragically died on Saturday while attempting to recover the bodies of four Italian divers believed to be inside a deep-sea cave.

A group of five divers lost their lives while exploring a deep underwater cave system in the Vaavu Atoll in what authorities are describing as the worst diving accident in the island nation’s history. The divers are believed to have succumbed to oxygen toxicity after diving down to extreme depths.

The Maldivian diver was identified as Mohamed Mahudhee, a member of the Maldivian national defence force. She reportedly suffered underwater decompression sickness while attempting to recover the bodies of four Italian divers.

Mohamed Hussain Shareef, the Maldives presidential spokesperson, said she

died of the sickness after being transferred to a hospital in the capital, Male. “The death goes to show the difficulty of the mission,” he said.

Authorities had temporarily suspended attempts to recover the bodies due to bad weather on Friday, but the operation resumed today. Mahudhee was part of the group that briefed Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu on the rescue plan when he visited the search site on Friday.

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Who Were The Italian Divers?

The Italian divers have been identified as 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, according to the Maldivian government.

Only one body, that of Benedetti, has been recovered so far, as treacherous weather conditions and extreme depths continue to hamper rescue efforts. According to Italian media, the tragedy has devastated the scientific community, as at least four of the victims were closely tied to the University of Genoa.

Montefalcone and Oddenino were in the Maldives on an official scientific mission to monitor marine environments and study the effects of climate change on tropical biodiversity, the University of Genoa said. However, the university stated the scuba diving activity was not part of the planned research and was “undertaken privately.”

The Italian foreign ministry said the cave is divided into three large chambers connected by narrow passages. Recovery teams explored two of the three chambers on Friday, but the search was limited due to considerations over oxygen and decompression. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said everything possible would be done to bring the victims home.

(with inputs from agencies)