Five Italian Tourists Killed in Maldives Cave Scuba Dive at Vaavu Atoll

Five Italian tourists died in a scuba diving accident in the Maldives after they attempted to explore caves at a depth of 50 metres in Vaavu Atoll, according to Italy’s foreign ministry in Rome.

“5 dead in scuba diving accident in deep underwater cave in the Maldives: Officials The bodies of four of the divers remain missing”

ABC News

The Maldives National Defense Force said the other four divers were believed to be in the same cave, which extends to a depth of approximately 60 meters, and the ongoing operation was described as “high risk” involving specialized divers, vessels and air support.

ABC News

ABC News reported that the bodies of four divers remained missing while a body of one diver was recovered in a cave about 200 feet deep, as the search for the remaining divers continued.

The divers went missing Thursday while exploring a cave in Vaavu Atoll, and the Italian foreign ministry said the reconstruction of the incident was still underway by Maldivian authorities.

Evrim Ağacı reported the tragedy unfolded in the Devana Kandu channel near Alimathaa island in the north-east of Vaavu Atoll, about 100 kilometers south of the Maldivian capital, Malé.

Maldivian presidential spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef extended “deepest condolences” to the people of Italy following the “tragic diving incident,” and said the search for the four remaining divers “remains our highest priority,” according to ABC News.

In a separate statement carried by CNN, Shareef said, “The cave is so deep that divers even with the best equipment do not try to approach,” as Italy’s Foreign Ministry said the divers “apparently died while attempting to explore caves at a depth of 50 meters (164 feet)”.

Australian Broadcasting Corporation

The University of Genoa identified the deceased divers as Monica Montefalcone, Giorgia Sommacal, Muriel Oddenino and Federico Gualtieri, and it also identified one victim as diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti, according to Global News and ABC News.

Global News said the ambassador of Italy to Colombo arrived in Malé on Friday to meet with officials and rescue vessels of the Maldivian Coast Guard, along with police and an Italian expert diver.

The Italian Embassy in Colombo said it was in contact with the Red Crescent, which offered to deploy trained volunteers to provide Psychological First Aid to the Italians still on board the Duke of York, and it said adverse weather conditions made it unclear whether they could reach the vessel in distress.

The incident is tied to diving tourism logistics, with Global News saying the five tourists who died were part of an expedition that included “the other 20 Italians aboard the Duke of York,” and ABC News saying the recovery operation was expected to resume on Saturday after being suspended Friday due to bad weather.

“Five Italians have died in a scuba diving accident in the Maldives, Italy's foreign ministry said on Thursday, with security forces in the Indian Ocean archipelago recovering one body”

CBS News

CBS News said the search was suspended on Friday after rough seas repeatedly hampered efforts, while it also reported that the foreign ministry said 20 other Italians aboard the “Duke of York” ship who participated in the diving expedition are safe.

Evrim Ağacı described the dive site as Devana Kandu near Alimathaa island, and it said the MNDF received an alert at 1:45 p.m. local time after the divers failed to surface, prompting a high-risk search.

Global News said the Maldives National Defense Force operation involved specialized divers, vessels and air support, and it also said the embassy was coordinating with DAN, an insurance provider specializing in coverage for divers, to support recovery and repatriation.

The University of Genoa said “The entire university community extends its condolences to his families, colleagues, and students who shared his personal and professional journey,” as Italy’s minister of university and research Anna Maria Bernini wrote that the tragedy “deeply shakes the entire Italian academic community.”