Maldives military diver dies searching for four Italian divers missing inside underwater cave system

A perilous hunt for the bodies of 4 Italian divers missing heavy wrong a Maldivian cave was halted Saturday aft a subject diver died during the mission.

Mohamed Mahdi, a subordinate of the Maldivian National Defense Force, died from decompression sickness during the unsafe mission, Maldives statesmanlike spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef said.

A radical of 5 Italian divers vanished Thursday during what investigators accidental was an unauthorized heavy dive that acold exceeded the Maldives’ recreational diving limit.

The victims included marine researchers and experienced divers, among them Monica Montefalcone, an ecology prof astatine the University of Genoa; her daughter, Giorgia Sommacal; marine biologist Federico Gualtieri; researcher Muriel Oddenino; and diving teacher Gianluca Benedetti, according to the Maldivian government.

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Mohamed Mahdi, a subordinate of the Maldivian National Defense Force, died from decompression sickness during the unsafe mission, officials said. (Maldives National Defense Force)

Gianluca Benedetti was recovered dormant adjacent the cave entranceway soon aft the radical disappeared. Authorities judge the bodies of the 4 remaining divers are trapped heavy wrong a cave strategy astir 160 feet underwater adjacent Vaavu Atoll.

The origin of the deaths remains nether investigation.

Monica Montefalcone, 1 of 5 Italian scuba divers who died adjacent Alimathaa successful the Maldives archipelago portion exploring an underwater cave, is shown successful this undated photograph released by Greenpeace Italia connected May 15, 2026. (Greenpeace Italia/AP)

Carlo Sommacal, Montefalcone’s hubby and Giorgia’s father, expressed doubts implicit the accident, saying that "something indispensable person happened down there" fixed his woman and daughter's extended experience.

Speaking to Italian TV, helium described Montefalcone arsenic a cautious and highly disciplined diver who would ne'er enactment her girl oregon different colleagues astatine risk.

Search crews accidental brutal underwater conditions, constricted oxygen and the complexity of the cave strategy person made betterment efforts highly dangerous.

Divers hole to hunt for 4 missing Italian divers adjacent Alimathaa Island, Vaavu Atoll, Maldives, connected May 15, 2026. (Maldives President's Media Division/AP)

"The decease goes to amusement the trouble of the mission," a authorities spokesperson said aft Mahdi’s death.

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The Italian Foreign Ministry said the cave strategy consists of 3 ample chambers connected by constrictive passages. Rescue teams explored 2 chambers Friday but were forced to halt due to the fact that of decompression risks.

Officials are present awaiting the accomplishment of 3 Finnish cave-diving specialists to reassess the operation.

Officials successful the Maldives said the effort to scope the 4 missing Italian divers was suspended aft the decease of Mahdi. (Maldives National Defense Force)

Albatros Top Boat, an Italian circuit relation that managed the diving trip, denied authorizing the descent and said the divers appeared to beryllium utilizing modular recreational instrumentality alternatively of specialized cogwheel required for method cave diving, its lawyer told Italian regular Corriere della Sera connected Saturday.

The Maldives Tourism Ministry has suspended the operating licence of the expedition vas progressive successful the travel arsenic the probe continues.

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Experts pass cave diving is among the world’s astir unsafe underwater activities, particularly astatine utmost depths wherever visibility tin vanish instantly and flight routes go limited.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.