Search For Italian Divers Killed In Maldives Cave Dive Suspended Due To Bad Weather
MALE, Maldives (AP) — A high-risk operation to retrieve the bodies of four Italian divers from the depths of an underwater cave. maldives It was suspended Friday after rough sea conditions repeatedly hampered efforts.
The Italian Foreign Minister spoke on Thursday, a day after the body of the fifth member of the diving group was found. Antonio Tajani He said everything possible would be done to return the victims to their homes despite the bad weather conditions.
The cause of the deaths continues to be investigated. The rescue operation is expected to restart on Saturday.
Speaking at a political event in Italy, Tajani said: “Unfortunately, the search has been stopped due to bad weather conditions, but we will do everything possible to recover the bodies of our citizens.”
Italy’s Foreign Ministry said the diving group “apparently died while trying to explore caves at a depth of 50 meters (164 feet)” at Vaavu Atoll on Thursday.
According to the Maldivian government, the victims were identified as Monica Montefalcone, a 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 found Thursday.
Montefalcone’s husband, Carlo Sommacal, said he believed something unexpected must have happened and ruled out the woman’s recklessness.
“Something must have happened,” he told Italian television channel Rete 4. He said his wife was a disciplined diver who carefully weighed the risks before each descent. He remembered sometimes telling her: “I can do this, you can’t.”
cave diving It is a highly technical and dangerous activity that requires special training, equipment and strict safety protocols. Risks increase sharply in overhead environments and at depth, especially when conditions deteriorate. Experts say it’s easy to get lost or disoriented inside caves, especially since sediment clouds can sharply reduce visibility.
Diving at 50 meters also exceeds the maximum depth recommended for recreational divers by most established scuba diving certification bodies; Depths above 40 meters are considered technical diving that requires special training and equipment. The recreational diving limit in the Maldives is 30 meters.
Sommacal said his wife survived 2004 tsunami While diving off the coast of Kenya, he surfaced with other experienced divers despite the danger and later returned to diving after a long recovery following serious health problems. “He had two lives; one on land and the other in his environment, which was in the water,” he said.
Maldivian presidential spokesman Mohamed Hussain Shareef said eight divers participated in Friday’s search and worked in pairs, probing the depths and drawing a map to continue the mission on Saturday.
He said Benedetti’s body was found near the cave mouth and authorities believe the remaining four entered the cave.
Shareef said that two Italians, one a deep-sea rescue expert and the other a cave diving expert, are expected to participate in the rescue efforts.
Italian authorities said that around 20 Italians who were on the same voyage with the ship Duke of York were safe. Italy’s embassy in Colombo was providing assistance to those on board and had contacted authorities. Red Crescentoffered to enlist volunteers to help provide psychological assistance.
The Italian ministry said the ship was seeking a safe port due to bad weather conditions and was waiting for conditions to improve before returning to Male.
Environmental organization Greenpeace Italia remembered Montefalcone as a passionate advocate of marine conservation, saying it would greatly miss his “professionalism and advice” and “that special light in his eyes when he talked about the wonders of the sea and the importance of protecting them”.
The National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology expressed its condolences for all the victims. Montefalcone is widely known for his work studying and protecting the marine environment.
The Italian ministry said it was coordinating with the Divers Alert Network, a specialist diving organisation, to support rescue operations and the repatriation of bodies.
It was stated that the cave, which five divers entered, was divided into three large rooms connected by narrow passages. Rescuers searched two of the three rooms, but the search was limited due to oxygen and decompression considerations.
The ministry added that they will explore the third room on Saturday.
Italian authorities and the honorary consul are in contact with the families of the victims to provide assistance.
Zampano reported from Rome. Sheikh Saaliq in New Delhi and Krishan Francis in Colombo contributed to this report.
