Five Italian divers died Thursday while exploring underwater caves in the Maldives, in what officials described as the worst single diving accident in the island nation's history. The victims, including a University of Genoa professor and her daughter, were part of a scientific expedition that entered the water Thursday morning from the yacht Duke of York in Vaavu Atoll, roughly 100 kilometers south of the capital Male.
Italian foreign ministry officials confirmed the deaths Friday, stating the divers were believed to have perished at depths around 50 meters while attempting to navigate a cave system divided into three large rooms connected by narrow passages. The Maldives military reported recovering one body from a cave about 60 meters underwater, with the remaining four still unaccounted for as specialized divers conducted high-risk search operations.
Among the victims were ecology professor Monica Montefalcone, her daughter and student Giorgia Sommacal, research fellow Muriel Oddenino, marine biology graduate Federico Gualtieri, and boat operations manager and diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti. Four of the five were affiliated with the University of Genoa team. The university issued a statement expressing its "deepest condolences" to the families.
Italy's ambassador to Sri Lanka, Damiano Francovigh, told broadcaster Sky TG24 that one body had been recovered while the other four remained missing. A second dive by Coast Guard divers on Friday morning explored two of the three cave rooms, with another operation planned for Saturday to reach the third.
"The divers are believed to have died while attempting to explore caves at a depth of 50 metres (164ft)," the Italian foreign ministry said in a statement.
The 20 other Italian nationals aboard the Duke of York yacht remained unharmed and were receiving assistance from the Italian Embassy in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The yacht was waiting for improved weather conditions before returning to Male. Rough seas and a yellow warning for passenger boats and fishermen had been issued in the area at the time of the incident.
Montefalcone's husband, Carlo Sommacal, spoke to Italian daily La Repubblica about his wife's expertise. "She was among the best divers in the world," he said, describing her as "prepared and meticulous" and someone who "would never have put our daughter's life or that of others at risk." He speculated that one of the divers may have experienced an issue with oxygen tanks.
Dive master Maurizio Uras suggested oxygen toxicity as a possible factor, noting it can occur during very deep dives if the oxygen mix is inadequate. "Weather conditions are also an important factor and we have to consider that the Indian Ocean is not the Mediterranean, which is relatively calm," Uras told Italian news agency Agi. "There are strong currents which I imagine can pull from one side to the other. A real danger."
Diving and snorkeling accidents remain relatively rare in the Maldives despite its popularity as a tourist destination. Last December, an experienced British female diver drowned off the resort island of Ellaidhoo, and her husband died five days later after falling ill. A Japanese lawmaker also died while snorkeling in Lhaviyani Atoll in 2024.
Officials said the crew of the diving vessel reported the group missing after they failed to resurface Thursday. The foreign ministry added that Italian officials were coordinating with Maldivian authorities on the recovery efforts, which carry significant risks due to the cave's depth and structure.
The incident has drawn attention to the challenges of technical cave diving in remote locations, where strong currents and limited visibility can compound dangers even for highly experienced participants. The University of Genoa team had been conducting ecological research in the region.