The remains of four missing Italian tourists have been located deep inside Thinwana Kandu, an underwater cave system in the Maldives known locally as the 'Shark Cave', days after the group vanished during a dive in Vaavu Atoll. Their discovery concluded an international search operation that had already claimed another life and raised serious questions about how the fatal dive unfolded.
The incident is now being described as the worst diving disaster in Maldivian history, with six people ultimately losing their lives. The grim recovery inside the 'Shark Cave' has brought a devastating end to a diving expedition that became the country'sdeadliest underwater disaster.
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Authorities confirmed that the victims were found in one of the deepest sections of the cave network after specialist cave divers from Finland joined Maldivian teams in a technically demanding recovery mission. The four bodies were discovered inside the third and deepest chamber of Thinwana Kandu, a submerged cave system near Alimathaa Island in Vaavu Atoll. Officials said the victims had been missing for four days before expert divers finally reached the site.
Recovered were marine ecology professor Monica Montefalcone, her daughter Giorgia Sommacal, researcherMuriel Oddenino, and marine biologist Federico Gualtieri. Their diving instructor, Gianluca Benedetti, had already been found earlier near the cave entrance.
Divernet reported that the operation required assistance from Divers Alert Network Europe (DAN Europe), which deployed three Finnish technical cave divers equipped with advanced closed-circuit rebreathers. Their initial exploration reportedly lasted around three hours and focused on locating the victims and assessing the environment for recovery planning.
The tragedy deepened whenMaldivian military diver Mohamed Mahudhee diedduring recovery efforts.
Reportsstated that Mahudhee became ill during an earlier mission and later died from complications linked to decompression sickness, prompting authorities to briefly suspend the operation. His death raised the overall toll to six people.
The dangerous conditions highlighted the risks facing recovery teams. Local rescue divers initially lacked equipment capable of penetrating the cave system and reaching the required depths, leading to calls for international assistance.
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Source: International Business Times UK
