Maldives Cave Tragedy: Bodies of Four Italian Divers Recovered After Days-Long Search Operation

Italy’s Foreign Ministry has confirmed that all five Italian divers involved in a fatal cave-diving expedition in the Vaavu Atoll of the Maldives have now died, after rescue teams located the final four bodies deep inside an underwater cave system.

Authorities said the divers disappeared on Thursday during a private expedition that descended to around 50 metres (160 feet) , well beyond the Maldives’ recreational diving limit of 30 metres . One diver, identified as diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti , was recovered earlier near the cave entrance shortly after the incident.

The remaining four divers were later found by an elite team of Finnish cave-diving specialists , operating alongside Maldivian authorities and coast guard units. Officials said the bodies were discovered deep within the cave’s third chamber , a complex network of narrow, low-visibility passages extending hundreds of metres underwater.

The victims have been identified in international reports as Monica Montefalcone , her daughter Giorgia Sommacal , researcher Muriel Oddenino , and marine biologist Federico Gualtieri , all of whom were reportedly experienced divers. Some were linked to the University of Genoa , though officials confirmed the dive itself was not part of an authorised scientific mission.

Search operations were previously suspended after a Maldivian military diver died from decompression sickness during recovery attempts, underscoring the extreme risk of the mission. Rough weather and hazardous underwater conditions further complicated efforts.

Authorities are now investigating possible factors including depth violations, oxygen limitations, equipment suitability, and expedition authorisation failures . The incident is being described as one of the deadliest diving tragedies in Maldives history.