Five Italian divers have died in a cave diving accident in Vaavu Atoll, local authorities said, in what officials described as the country’s most serious diving incident.
Only one body has been recovered so far. The remaining four are still believed to be inside an underwater cave system, with search operations suspended due to rough seas and poor weather conditions.
The group went diving at a site with caves located about 50 metres underwater but failed to return to their vessel, the ‘Duke of York’. Rescue teams later recovered one body near the entrance of the cave system.
Maldivian authorities identified the deceased as Monica Montefalcone, Giorgia Somacal, Federico Gualtieri, Muriel Audenino and Gianluca Benedetti. Officials said Benedetti’s body was recovered during the initial search effort.
Reports from Italy said at least four of the victims were linked to the University of Genoa, where they were associated with marine science and related research programmes.
Montefalcone was a marine biology professor and scientific director of a marine monitoring project in the Maldives. Somacal, her daughter, had studied biomedical engineering. Audenino and Gualtieri were marine biologists, while Gualtieri also worked as a certified diving instructor. Benedetti managed boat operations in the Maldives after earlier working in banking.
Rescue operations were halted when weather conditions worsened, with winds reported at 25–30 mph, reducing underwater visibility and limiting safe dive time. Officials said eight divers took part in the search operation in pairs before it was suspended.
Investigators are examining possible causes, including disorientation in low visibility, oxygen depletion, and potential equipment-related issues. Some diving experts, including those linked to the Divers Alert Network, are assisting Italian authorities in planning recovery operations.
Search efforts are expected to resume once conditions improve.
