Maldives underwater trip gets deadlier: Rescue diver killed, search for 4 dead Italians suspended

Authorities are now awaiting the arrival of three Finnish divers on Sunday. These are experts in deep and cave diving and will rethink their search strategy. Mahdhee, the dead rescue diver, will be buried with military honors in a funeral attended by President Mohamed Muzzu on Saturday night. He was part of the group that had briefed Muizzu on the rescue plan when he visited the search site on Friday.“The death goes to show the difficulty of the mission,” Maldives presidential spokesman Mohamed Hussain Shareef said.

What happened in Maldives

Italian authorities and Maldivian officials said the group is believed to have entered a cave system divided into three large chambers connected by narrow passages.

Recovery teams explored two of the three chambers on Friday, but the operation was limited by oxygen and decompression constraints, according to Italy’s Foreign Ministry. Search teams were expected to explore the third chamber on Saturday.

One body — identified as diving instructor and boat operations manager Gianluca Benedetti — was recovered near the mouth of the cave on Thursday, while the remaining four are still believed to be inside, as per the report by AP.

The victims were identified as ecology professor Monica Montefalcone, her daughter Giorgia Sommacal, marine biologist Federico Gualtieri, researcher Muriel Oddenino and diving instructor Benedetti.

AP reported that Montefalcone and Oddenino had been in the Maldives on an official University of Genoa scientific mission studying marine ecosystems and climate change impacts, though the university clarified the fatal dive itself was a “private” activity unrelated to the research project. Sommacal and Gualtieri were also not part of the scientific mission.

The report said rough weather and dangerous underwater conditions repeatedly hampered rescue efforts. The Maldives military described the recovery mission as “very high risk”, as cited by BBC, while Italian authorities said oxygen limitations and decompression requirements restricted search operations inside the cave system.

AP reported that cave diving at depths of 50 metres exceeds the recreational diving limit in the Maldives, which is capped at 30 metres. Experts noted that dives beyond 40 metres are considered technical diving and require specialised equipment and advanced training.

Two Italian specialists — a cave diving expert and a deep-sea rescue expert — are expected to join the search effort, as per the report.

Meanwhile, the Maldives tourism ministry has suspended the operating licence of the diving vessel “Duke of York” pending investigation. Italian officials said around 20 other Italians aboard the vessel were safe, while Italy’s embassy in Colombo and the Red Crescent were coordinating assistance, including psychological support for passengers.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said “everything possible” would be done to bring the victims home, while Italy’s Foreign Ministry said it was coordinating with Divers Alert Network, a specialist diving organisation, to support recovery and repatriation efforts.

Citing experts, AP noted that cave diving in deep underwater chambers carries severe risks, including disorientation, poor visibility and strong currents. BBC cited Italian dive master Maurizio Uras telling Italian media that oxygen toxicity and rough Indian Ocean conditions may also have contributed to the accident.