Authorities are searching a deep cave system after one body was recovered and four others remained inside.
MALE, MALDIVES — Five Italian scuba divers died Thursday while exploring an underwater cave near Alimathaa in Vaavu Atoll, Maldivian and Italian officials said, setting off a difficult recovery effort that has now also killed a Maldivian military diver.
The accident has drawn attention in Italy and the Maldives because several victims were linked to marine research and because the dive went far below the country’s recreational diving limit. Authorities said the group had entered a cave system at about 50 meters, or 164 feet. One body was recovered near the cave entrance, while four others were believed to be farther inside as search teams worked through rough seas, poor access and dangerous decompression risks.
The dead were identified by officials and institutions as diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti, ecology professor Monica Montefalcone, her daughter Giorgia Sommacal, marine biologist Federico Gualtieri and researcher Muriel Oddenino. Montefalcone and Oddenino were in the Maldives as part of a scientific trip tied to marine biodiversity and climate research, but the University of Genoa said the cave dive itself was private. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Italy was following the case closely and supporting the recovery effort through its embassy and crisis officials. “We are working to assist the families and bring the bodies home,” Tajani said.
The dive took place near Alimathaa, a resort island in Vaavu Atoll, about 40 miles south of Male. Officials said the divers were exploring a submerged cave with several chambers when they failed to return. The Maldivian government said Benedetti’s body was found near the entrance on Thursday. The other four were believed to be trapped deeper inside the cave. Weather slowed the work Friday, and officials said rough seas made it hard for teams to send divers back into the area. Searchers resumed work Saturday after preparing a plan based on what they had learned from earlier dives into the cave.
The operation turned deadlier when Maldivian military diver Mohamed Mahudhee died after taking part in the recovery mission. Officials said he suffered decompression sickness, a dangerous condition that can happen when a diver surfaces after deep-water exposure and gas bubbles form in the body. His death brought the wider toll from the accident and recovery mission to six. Maldivian officials said the search was high risk because the cave was deep, narrow and divided into chambers. They said teams had to balance the need to recover the bodies with the safety of rescue divers entering the same confined system.
Authorities said the group had been diving from the liveaboard vessel Duke of York. The Maldives Transport Authority suspended the vessel’s operating license while investigators review what happened. Officials have not said whether equipment failure, a navigation problem, air supply trouble, currents, panic or another cause led to the deaths. The Italian Foreign Ministry said the divers appeared to have died while exploring caves at about 50 meters. Maldivian rules set the recreational scuba limit at 30 meters. That depth issue is expected to be part of the investigation, along with the planning, supervision and safety controls for the dive.
The accident has shaken Italy’s marine science and diving communities. The University of Genoa said Montefalcone was an associate professor of ecology with years of work on marine ecosystems, and it identified Gualtieri and Oddenino as part of the broader research group. Greenpeace Italia paid tribute to Montefalcone’s work on marine protection. Family members also defended the victims’ experience. Montefalcone’s husband said she was a careful and skilled diver who would not have knowingly put herself or others in danger. Others on the trip, including about 20 Italian nationals who were not part of the cave dive, were reported safe.
The Maldives is known worldwide for clear water, coral reefs and dive tourism, but underwater caves create risks that are different from open-water dives. Cave divers can lose direct access to the surface, stir up sediment that blocks vision, face tight passages and need extra gas planning for entry, exit and emergencies. At 50 meters, divers also face more complex pressure and breathing-gas risks than they do at shallower recreational depths. Officials have not described the exact equipment used by the group, and they have not released a final timeline showing how long the divers were underwater before the alarm was raised.
Italian and international diving specialists joined Maldivian teams to advise on the search and recovery. Divers Alert Network also became involved in support efforts, according to officials. The Italian government said it was coordinating with Maldivian authorities on recovery and repatriation. Investigators are expected to review witness accounts from the vessel, dive plans, equipment records, weather and sea conditions, and any camera or dive computer data that can be recovered. No criminal charges had been announced by Saturday, and officials did not give a date for a final report.
At the harbor and aboard support vessels, the work moved between grief and caution as teams prepared for repeated dives into a cave already known to be deadly. Officials said the first priority was to recover the four remaining bodies without losing more rescuers. The death of Mahudhee added a second layer of mourning in the Maldives, where military and coast guard personnel were already working in difficult seas. Search leaders said the cave’s layout required slow progress and careful planning before each entry.
The recovery mission was ongoing Saturday, May 16, with four Italian bodies still believed to be inside the cave. Authorities said the Duke of York license suspension, the death investigation and the dive-safety review would continue as officials work to return the victims to Italy.
Author note: Last updated Saturday, May 16, 2026.