A University Of Genoa Ecology Professor, Her Daughter, A Marine Biologist And A Researcher Entered A Three-Chamber Underwater Cave With Recreational Equipment. The Search For Their Bodies Has Now Claimed A Sixth Life.
According to CBS News, five Italian divers died after entering an underwater cave at a depth of approximately 50 metres in Vaavu Atoll, Maldives on Thursday, May 15. The Maldives’ recreational diving limit is 30 metres. The victims have been identified as Monica Montefalcone, an associate 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 recovered near the mouth of the cave on Thursday. The remaining four are believed to have entered deeper into the system. The cave is divided into three large chambers connected by narrow passages. Recovery teams explored two chambers on Friday but were forced to stop due to decompression risks.
Mohamed Mahudhee, a member of the Maldivian National Defence Force, died of underwater decompression sickness on Saturday after being transferred to a hospital in the capital. He was buried with military honours in a funeral attended by President Mohamed Muizzu.
The tour operator Albatros Top Boat denied authorizing the descent, with its lawyer telling Corriere della Sera that the divers appeared to be using standard recreational equipment rather than the specialized gear required for technical cave diving.
The Maldives Tourism Ministry has suspended the operating licence of the expedition vessel pending investigation. Three Finnish cave-diving specialists have since arrived to reassess the recovery operation.
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