Five Italian Divers Die in Maldives Cave Accident as Search Resumes Saturday

Five Italian nationals died while scuba diving in a deep underwater cave in the Maldives on May 14, 2026, Italian and Maldivian officials said. The victims include a mother and her daughter. One body was recovered in a cave about 200 feet deep while the remaining four divers are believed to be inside the 200-foot-long cave, according to the Maldives National Defense Force.

The divers went missing Thursday while exploring a cave in Vaavu Atoll near Keyodhoo, Maldives. The incident occurred near Alimathaa in the Maldives archipelago. @ABC reported that the bodies of four of the divers remain missing.

The search was suspended on Friday due to bad weather, The Associated Press reported. The recovery operation is expected to resume on Saturday. " Italy's Foreign Ministry said the five Italian nationals died while attempting to explore caves at a depth of 50 meters.

"The reconstruction of the incident is still underway by the Maldivian authorities," the ministry said. The deceased divers are Monica Montefalcone, Giorgia Sommacal, Muriel Oddenino, Federico Gualtieri, and Gianluca Benedetti. Monica Montefalcone was a marine scientist and associate professor at the University of Genoa.

Giorgia Sommacal was a University of Genoa biomedical engineering student and daughter of Monica Montefalcone. Muriel Oddenino was a University of Genoa research fellow. Federico Gualtieri was a recent University of Genoa graduate in marine biology and ecology and a marine biologist.

Gianluca Benedetti was a diving instructor. Monica Montefalcone had won multiple awards for her work to study and protect the marine environment, the Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology said. The identifications were provided by the Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology and the University of Genoa.

The Italian ambassador from the embassy in Colombo arrived in the Maldives on Friday to meet with Maldives National Defence Force Coast Guard officials, Italy's Foreign Ministry said. The Italian Embassy in Colombo is in contact with the victims' families. The embassy is providing assistance to 20 other Italian nationals aboard the Duke of Yoke who participated in the expedition.

"The vessel is awaiting an improvement in weather conditions in order to return to Malé," the ministry said Friday. The article was published on May 15, 2026, at 6:01 PM.