Five Italian Divers Die After Cave Dive In Vaavu Atoll, Maldives

Five Italian divers slipped beneath the surface in the Vaavu Atoll in the Maldives on Thursday, May 14, and the dive became the worst diving accident in Maldivian history.

“- Published A member of the diving team that recovered the bodies of Italian scuba divers in the Maldives has said the equipment they were found with "was not optimal"”

BBC

The dive instructor’s body was found near the entrance of the Dhekunu Kandu cave later that day, and a major search and rescue mission ended with the death of one of the Maldivian National Defense Force’s most senior divers on May 16 after attempting to enter the cave.

BBC

Outside Magazine said Maldivian law caps recreational diving at 98 feet while the cave’s entrance sits at nearly 164 feet, and it reported the cave’s deepest point drops to 230 feet.

The BBC described the cave as 60-metre-deep (197ft) and said the body of the first diver was found soon after the five disappeared, with the rest of the group found deep inside the cave by a team of specialist Finnish and Maldivian divers.

The BBC also said the Maldivian rescue diver who died while searching for their bodies has been named as Staff Sgt Mohamed Mahdhee, and it reported that a yellow warning was issued for passenger boats and fishermen when the group went missing.

Italian investigators seized electronic devices and personal equipment belonging to the five divers who died inside the Vaavu Atoll cave, referred to in local reports as Devana Kandu, or Dhekunu Kandu, on 14 May.

DIVE Magazine said the Genoa Flying Squad took mobile phones, computers, tablets, USB drives and a hard drive belonging to the victims as part of a widening culpable homicide (manslaughter) investigation begun by prosecutors in Rome.

DIVE Magazine

DIVE Magazine reported that Italian authorities have also requested access to the GoPro cameras, dive computers, and other equipment recovered from the bodies by the Finnish recovery team, which is currently being held by investigators in Malé.

The BBC quoted Finnish diver Sami Paakkarinen saying the equipment they were found with "was not optimal" and that they "weren't using underwater caving gear".

The BBC added that Paakkarinen questioned why the divers were inside the cave "without the proper equipment" and described the scuba diving reel or guide rope for safety as "Ariadne's thread".

As investigators examine competing explanations, ynetnews reported that a team of expert Finnish divers believes a “sand wall illusion” may have caused the group to take a wrong turn while trying to exit the cave.

“A scuba diver explores a sea cave in the Maldives”

Outside Magazine

ynetnews said the Finnish recovery team, working for DAN Europe, recovered the bodies this week and believed the divers may have taken the wrong tunnel on their way out of the cave, with the remaining four bodies located on Monday in the cave’s third and final chamber at a depth of about 165 feet.

The same report said DAN Europe CEO Laura Marroni told La Repubblica, “There was no way out from there,” and it described the divers’ bodies being found inside “as if they had mistaken it for the right one.”

Outside Magazine said an investigation into the tragedy is ongoing and that Narcosis, equipment failure, oxygen toxicity, and panic have all been raised as possibilities.

The BBC reported that images from inside the cave where the four Italians were discovered earlier this week were taken by Finnish diver Sami Paakkarinen, and it said the four bodies are expected to be repatriated to Italy on Saturday with post mortem examinations taking place in the coming days.