Five Italian tourists died in a scuba diving accident in the Maldives after a morning dive near Alimathaa ended in tragedy in Vaavu Atoll, where they were attempting to explore caves at a depth of 50 metres. The group was reported missing on Thursday after failing to surface by midday, and Maldivian authorities were still investigating the incident on Friday.
The victims were identified as Monica Montefalcone, Giorgia Sommacal, Muriel Oddenino, Federico Gualtieri and Gianluca Benedetti. The Maldives National Defense Force said the other four divers were believed to be in the same cave where the first body was recovered, describing the cave as extending to about 60 meters and the operation as high risk. Specialized divers, vessels and air support were being used in the search and recovery effort.
The accident has shaken Italy’s diving community and put a spotlight on a section of the Maldives where underwater cave exploration can turn dangerous fast. The victims were linked to the University of Genoa community and one was a diving instructor connected to Albatros Top Boat, underscoring how experienced travelers can still be caught out by conditions and depth.
Italian officials moved quickly on Friday. The ambassador of Italy to Colombo arrived in Malé to meet with Maldivian officials, rescue vessels from the Coast Guard, police and an Italian expert diver. The Embassy of Italy in Colombo said it was in contact with the families to provide consular assistance and was also helping the other 20 Italians aboard the Duke of York. DAN said it planned to coordinate with local authorities to support the recovery of the bodies and their repatriation.
The main unanswered question now is how a dive that began in the morning near Alimathaa and was carried out in unfavourable weather ended with five deaths in one cave. Mohamed Hussain Shareef said the cave was so deep that divers, even with the best equipment, do not try to approach it, a warning that fits the scale of the loss and the risks investigators are now trying to reconstruct.
