Three Finnish divers arrived in the Maldives this Sunday to develop a new search plan for the bodies of four Italian divers believed to be inside an underwater cave. The initial search was suspended after a local military diver died during a dangerous mission to try to reach them.
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The five Italian divers died on Thursday while exploring a cave about 50 meters deep in the Vaavu Atoll. The depth limit for recreational diving in the Maldives is 30 meters.
The Maldivian presidential spokesperson, Mohamed Hussain Shareef, stated that the search was suspended after Mohamed Mahudhee, a member of the Maldives National Defense Force, died from decompression sickness after being transferred to a hospital in the capital on Saturday.
Shareef said this Sunday that three Finnish divers, experts in deep and cave diving, have arrived in the archipelago and joined the Maldives coast guard in a meeting aimed at outlining a new search strategy.
Mahudhee was buried with military honors in a funeral attended by President Mohamed Muizzu on Saturday night. The diver was part of the group that informed Muizzu about the rescue plan when he visited the search site on Friday.
The causes of the accident
Still under investigation
Bad weather has repeatedly hindered rescue efforts. Saturday’s search operations involved eight local divers who worked in shifts to locate the bodies, according to the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Initial teams had already made dives to identify and mark the entrance to the cave system where the Italians disappeared. The cause of the deaths remains under investigation.
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Italy’s Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, stated that everything possible would be done to repatriate the victims. He expressed his condolences for the death of the Maldivian diver during the rescue efforts.
According to the Maldivian government, the victims have been identified as Monica Montefalcone, 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.
Benedetti’s body was recovered on Thursday near the cave entrance. Authorities believe the other four had entered the cave.
The mission
Studying the effects of climate change in the tropics
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 reported in a statement on Friday. However, the diving activity during which the fatal accident occurred was not part of the planned research and was conducted privately, the university added.
The Italian tour operator who managed the diving excursion denied having authorized or being aware of the deep dive that violated local limits, according to his lawyer who spoke to the Italian newspaper ‘Corriere della Sera’ on Saturday. The dive far exceeded what was expected for a scientific expedition focused on coral sampling at standard depths.
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