The bodies of four missing Italian scuba divers who died last week have been discovered, the Maldives government announced Monday, after a difficult effort to find their remains in a network of water caves.
Five Italians died while exploring the Vaavu Atoll tunnels on Thursday, prompting an international search for their remains.
That same day, one body was discovered at the entrance to the underwater caves that resemble a maze. International cave divers collaborated with Maldivian experts to locate the bodies of the other four victims.
After a temporary suspension due to the death of a military diver, the operation resumed on Monday.
On Sunday, three Finnish divers from the Divers Alert Network (DAN), a global scuba safety group, collaborated with a fourth expert and the local coastguard to create a new plan.
The United Kingdom and Australia are providing specialized equipment, according to Mohamed Hussain Shareef, the Maldives government’s main spokesperson.
Shareef stated that additional dives would be carried out “in the coming days” to try to collect the bodies.
Who are these divers?
Diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti’s body was discovered at the cave’s opening, leading investigators to think the other four Italians are still within, Shareef said.
They are: Monica Montefalcone, an associate professor of ecology at the University of Genoa; her daughter Giorgia Sommacal; marine biologist Federico Gualtieri; and researcher Muriel Oddenino.
Authorities confirmed that as the remainder of the gang went into the sea, a sixth diver chose not to participate.
The group was on a scuba diving trip on board the Duke of York, according to Italy’s foreign ministry.
The Red Crescent gave psychological First Aid to a total of 20 Italians who remained on board, and no injuries were immediately recorded, the government claimed.
Another life was lost in the search for the four missing bodies, highlighting the danger and intricacy of the recovery effort.
Senior military diver Sgt. Mohamed Mahudhee, 43, died on Saturday during a second retrieval attempt inside the cave, which at its deepest point is 70 meters (230 feet) below the surface (approximately the depth of a 20-story structure), and 200 meters long.
“He was one of the most senior divers, which shows just how challenging this dive is,” Shareef stated.