Maldivian Soldier and Five Italian Divers Die in Vaavu Atoll Cave Search and Accident

A Maldivian military diver died Saturday while searching for the bodies of five Italian divers who disappeared two days earlier inside an underwater cave in Vaavu Atoll. Mohamed Mahudhee, a sergeant major in the Maldivian National Defense Force, died of underwater decompression sickness after being transferred to a hospital in the capital, Maldives Presidential Spokesman Mohammed Hussain Shareef said.

Mahudhee had been part of the group that briefed President Mohamed Muizzu on the rescue plan when the president visited the search site Friday.

"The death goes to show the difficulty of the mission," Shareef said. The five Italians are believed to have died while exploring the cave at a depth of about 50 meters on Thursday. That is well beyond the Maldives' recreational diving limit of 30 meters.

Benedetti’s body was recovered Thursday near the mouth of the cave, Shareef said, while authorities believe the other four entered deeper inside. The victims were identified by the Maldivian government as Monica Montefalcone, an associate professor of ecology at the University of Genoa; her 20-year-old daughter Giorgia Sommacal; Federico Gualtieri, a recent graduate from Borgomanero; Muriel Oddenino of Turin; and Gianluca Benedetti of Padua, a diving instructor.

Montefalcone and Oddenino were in the Maldives on an official scientific mission to monitor marine environments and study the effects of climate change on tropical biodiversity, the University of Genoa said.

The scuba diving activity was not part of the planned research and was undertaken privately. Student Sommacal and recent graduate Gualtieri were not involved in the scientific mission. Rough weather hampered rescue efforts from the start.

Police said conditions were rough in Vaavu Atoll on Thursday with a yellow warning in place for passenger boats and fishermen. Search missions were called off Friday because of bad weather. Aircraft and speedboats were deployed for a major search after the group was reported missing Thursday afternoon, the Maldives National Defence Force said.

The cave is divided into three large chambers connected by narrow passages, according to the Italian Foreign Ministry. Recovery teams explored two of the three chambers on Friday, but the search was limited due to considerations over oxygen and decompression. On Saturday, teams planned to explore the third chamber.

Two Italians, a deep-sea rescue expert and a cave diving expert, are expected to join the recovery effort, Shareef said. The Italian Foreign Ministry is coordinating with Divers Alert Network to support recovery operations and the repatriation of the bodies. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said everything possible would be done to bring the victims home.

Around 20 other Italians on the same expedition aboard the vessel “Duke of York” were safe, Italian officials said. Italy’s embassy in Colombo was providing assistance to those onboard and had contacted the Red Crescent, which offered to deploy volunteers to help provide psychological aid. Italian officials and the honorary consul are in contact with the victims’ families.

The Maldives tourism ministry has suspended the operating license of the “Duke of York” pending an investigation. The cause of the divers’ deaths is still under investigation. Local officials called the incident the worst single diving accident in the history of the Maldives.

At least 112 tourists have died in marine-related incidents in the archipelago in the past six years, with 42 of them from diving or snorkeling accidents, local media reports said. A British woman tourist died while diving in December, and her 71-year-old husband died a few days later after falling ill.

A 26-year-old Japanese tourist went missing after a diving expedition near the capital in June.

This image released by the Maldives President's Media Division shows divers preparing to search near Alimathaa Island, Vaavu Atoll, Maldives, on Saturday, May 15, 2026.