Maldives suspends search for missing Italian divers after military diver dies in rescue mission

The Maldivian government suspended the search for the bodies of four Italian divers on Saturday after a Maldives National Defence Force diver died during the rescue mission.

Five Italian divers are believed to have died inside an underwater cave located around 50 meters deep, on Thursday. One of the divers' bodies was recovered.

The limit for recreational diving in Maldives is 30 meters.

The Maldives NDF diver, Mohamed Mahudhee, died of underwater decompression sickness after being transferred to hospital in the capital.

Mohamed Hussain Shareef, Maldives presidential spokesperson, announced the suspension of the rescue mission, adding that the search strategy will be revisited after three deep diving experts from Finland arrive in the country.

Shareef said, “The death of Mahudhee goes to show the difficulty of the mission.” The military personnel will be buried with military honours on Saturday. President Mohamed Muizzu will also attend the martyr’s funeral.

The Italian foreign ministry offered condolences to Maldives over the death of Mahudhee. It added that around eight local divers worked in shifts on Saturday to search for the bodies.

Initial teams had already dived to identify and mark the entrance to the cave system where the Italians disappeared.

Who were the Italian divers?

The victims have been identified as experience divers, including:

• Monica Montefalcone, associate professor of ecology at the University of Genoa
• Giorgia Sommacal, Monica’s daughter
• Federico Gualtieri, marine biologist
• Muriel Oddenino, researcher
• Gianluca Benedetti, diving instructor

Benedetti’s body was recovered on Thursday. The Italian foreign minister has vowed to do everything in his power to bring the victims' bodies back home.