Recovery of Italian divers killed in Maldives underwater cave progresses
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The search for the remaining bodies of Italian divers who perished in a deep underwater cave in the Maldives continued Tuesday as authorities described the rescue mission as “very challenging”.
As The Associated Press previously reported and Fox News Digital also reported, five Italians who went missing Thursday were killed while diving near Alimathaa, a dive site on Vaavu Atoll.
Authorities found the bodies of three of the divers; two on Tuesday, one earlier. According to the AP report, the other two bodies have been located but have not been found yet.
UNDERWATER TRAGEDY IN THE MALDIVES LEAVES FAMILIES SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS AFTER CAVE DEATHS
Mohamed Hussain Shareef, spokesman for Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, told the AP that the operation was particularly dangerous due to the extreme depth of the cave.
“Number one, because of its depth. Number two, because [the] real terrain, because there are strong currents in that channel, there are strong downdrafts, and the conditions there, for example, when you go into the cave, the visibility will be almost zero,” he said.
The victims included Giorgia Sommacal, Muriel Oddenino, and Monica Montefalcone, shown above. (Facebook/Giorgia Sommacal; Facebook/Muriel Oddenino; Greenpeace Italy/AP)
Shareef said the cave was explored by both foreign divers and local experts before the tragedy.
The official confirmed that Italian divers had permission to explore the cave, but officials were unsure of the exact area of the cave they were diving in.
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According to the AP, the bodies were found about 200 feet underwater; this was roughly twice the legal depth limit for recreational diving in the Maldives.
Shareef said at least two of the divers who died were not on the discovery list submitted to authorities before the dive.
Rescue divers are shown preparing to search for missing Italian divers near Alimathaa Island in Vaavu Atoll in the Maldives on May 15, 2026. (Media Section of the President of the Maldives/AP)
“[We] “I didn’t know they were part of the expedition,” he said. “It’s actually a very challenging dive, you know.”
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Maldivian officials said the Finnish team assisting in the rescue operation found the bodies deep in the cave, with all four victims found “almost together”, the AP reported.
The victims were identified as University of Genoa ecology professor Monica Montefalcone, her daughter Giorgia Sommacal, marine biologist Federico Gualtieri, researcher Muriel Oddenino and diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti.
Located southwest of India and Sri Lanka, the Maldives is famous for its beaches, coral reefs and luxury island resorts. (Carl Court/Getty Images)
Vaavu Atoll is a chain of islands in the central Maldives, located southwest of Sri Lanka and India.
Authorities were alerted after divers were unable to surface at noon Thursday due to difficult weather conditions, according to the AP.
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Although the group included experienced divers and marine researchers familiar with underwater research, the cause of the deaths is still under investigation.
Montefalcone’s husband, Carlo Sommacal, told local newspaper La Repubblica that his wife “could never risk the life of our daughter or our other children.”
Authorities in the Maldives are trying to rescue the remaining members of the group who died during a dive. (Maldives National Defense Force)
“Something must have happened,” he said in a different interview with an Italian television station, according to the AP.
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Fox News Digital’s Stephen Sorace and The Associated Press contributed reporting.
