Diving accident in the Maldives Rescue diver dies while attempting to recover body
A scientific dive ends in tragedy: five experienced Italian divers drown in underwater caves in the Maldives. Evidence points to dramatic minutes in the depths, a rescue diver dies.
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- Five Italian divers died during a dive in the underwater caves of Vaavu Atoll in the Maldives.
- So far, rescue teams have only been able to recover the dead diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti, whose oxygen tank was empty.
- The group was apparently diving to a depth of 60 meters, although only 30 meters are permitted in the Maldives.
Following the death of five Italian passengers on a luxury boat in a diving accident in the Maldives, the authorities have suspended the ship's operating license. The license of the "MV Duke of York" will be suspended indefinitely until the investigation into Thursday's accident in Vaavu Atoll is completed, the island nation's Ministry of Tourism and Aviation announced on Saturday.
The five Italians had not returned from a deep cave dive on Thursday. The Italian Foreign Ministry confirmed their deaths on Thursday evening. The victims are the marine ecologist Monica Montefalcone, her daughter Giorgia Sommacal, the diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti and the researchers Muriel Oddenino and Federico Gualtieri. The group was on a scientific mission.
Dive at a depth of 60 meters
Maldives government spokesman Mohamed Hussain Shareef said an investigation was underway into why the group had dived below the officially permitted depth of 30 meters. The diving instructor's body was reportedly found in a cave at a depth of 60 meters. His scuba tank was empty.
Investigators therefore assume that the group lost their bearings in the narrow caves and were unable to find the exit in time. They also believe it is possible that strong currents trapped the divers in the depths. The conditions in the caves are considered very dangerous. The victims were all experienced divers. The search for the four remaining Italians continued for a third day on Saturday.
Rescue diver dies during search
A rescue diver who was involved in the search has now also died during the operation. Staff Sergeant Mohamed M.* was taken to hospital in a critical condition after a dive as part of the search and rescue operation, where he later succumbed to his injuries, a government spokesman told the BBC on Saturday.
