The diving world has been rocked by the deaths of five tourists during a cave diving expedition in the Maldives, and that of a sixth diver who was part of attempts to find the victims’ bodies. More divers have now arrived in the South Asian island republic to assist in the recovery mission.
The group of five who initially went missing were all Italians, and were experienced divers who have been named by Maldivian authorities as Monica Montefalcone, a well-known marine ecology advocate and associate professor at the University of Genoa; her daughter, Giorgia Sommacal; marine biologist Federico Gualtieri; researcher Muriel Oddenino; and diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti.
The Italian Foreign Ministry said the deaths occurred on Vaavu Atoll, the smallest administrative atoll of the archipelago, about 60 minutes by speedboat, or three hours by dhoni (a traditional regional sailing vessel) from the capital Malé. “The divers are believed to have died while attempting to explore caves at a depth of 50 meters,” the ministry said.
Questions are now being raised about the expedition, since the depth limit for recreational diving in The Maldives is set at 30 metres, as it is for most major scuba certifying agencies. While Montefalcone and Oddenino and Benedetti could be argued to have been undertaking a professional activity, no special technical equipment necessary for diving at such deaths had been deployed, and no permission had been sought or granted to exceed the 30-metre threshold, according to Albatros Top Boat, the Italian tour operator responsible.
What’s more, Sommacal and Gualtieri would not officially have been part of any scientific work taking place across the cave system. About 20 other Italians were aboard the “Duke of York” boat at the time of the incident, and all are safe and being offered counseling, authorities have confirmed.
It is not yet known what happened to cause the tragedy, but Montefalcone’s husband has insisted she was an expert who had 5,000 dives under her belt. He also expressed confidence in dive lead Benedetti, saying he was “meticulous” and “meticulous”, and would have “checked everything: the tanks, the weather conditions. He’s not a fool.”
The system the victims were exploring has been described as three large chambers that are linked by narrow passages. Benedetti’s body was recovered on Thursday close to one cave, and recovery teams continued to search in rough weather for the other four on Friday, until the search was suspended after a sixth person died.
ފެލިދެއަތޮޅުގައި ފީނަން ދިޔަ ޑައިވަރުންގެ ތެރެއިން ގެއްލުނު ހަތަރު ޑައިވަރު ހޯދުމަށް، އެމްއެންޑީއެފުން ކުރިއަށްގެންދާ، ސާޗް އެންޑް ރެސްކިއު އޮޕަރޭޝަނުގައި މިއަދު ޑައިވްކުރަނިކޮށް ހާލުދެރަވި، އެމްއެންޑީއެފްގެ ސްޓާފް ސާޖަންޓް މުޙައްމަދު މަހުދީ ނިޔާވެއްޖެ. pic.twitter.com/34prlbxEi9
— Maldives National Defence Force (@MNDF_Official) May 16, 2026
Mohamed Mahudhee, a member of the Maldivian National Defense Force, died of underwater decompression sickness after participating in the recovery work. He was taken to a Malé hospital on Saturday but did not survive.
Three Finnish divers arrived in the Maldives on Sunday 17 May to help plan the search for the unrecovered bodies which are thought to be inside one of the underwater caves with a depth of 60 metres. Conditions within the caves, especially in poor weather which can stir up sediment and reduce visibility, have been challenging, with a yellow weather warning issued.
The incident comes as a blow to Maldivian tourism ahead of the world’s largest travel trade show, ITB Berlin, which the archipelago is due to host in 2027.
