Five Italian divers died while exploring an underwater cave system in the Maldives on Thursday in what local authorities described as the country’s worst diving accident. Rescue teams have recovered only one body so far, while bad weather and difficult underwater conditions have slowed recovery operations. Officials are expected to resume the search on Saturday. The group disappeared while exploring caves in the Vaavu Atoll at a depth of around 50 metres. Investigators are still trying to determine the exact cause of the tragedy.

Maldives Identifies Victims

The Maldivian government identified the victims as Monica Montefalcone, Giorgia Sommacal, Federico Gualtieri, Muriel Oddenino and Gianluca Benedetti. The divers used a yacht named Duke of York during the expedition.

Authorities said only Benedetti’s body has been recovered so far. Rescue officials found his body near the entrance of the underwater cave system. The remaining four divers are believed to still be inside the cave.

Scientists Among the Victims

At least four of the victims were linked to the University of Genoa. Monica Montefalcone worked as a marine biologist and professor of Tropical Marine Ecology and Underwater Science at the university. Italian media reports said she also served as the scientific director of an island monitoring campaign in the Maldives.

Her daughter, Giorgia Sommacal, reportedly shared her passion for marine life and diving. According to the Daily Mail, she had completed a degree in biomedical engineering at the same university.

Muriel Oddenino, 31, worked as a marine biologist and ecologist. She had experience in diving and had written several scientific papers. Federico Gualtieri, also 31, recently graduated in marine biology and ecology. He was also a certified scuba diving instructor.

Gianluca Benedetti, 44, previously worked in banking and finance before moving to the Maldives in 2017 to follow his passion for diving. He later became a boat operations manager aboard the Duke of York.

Rescue Teams Face Difficult Conditions

Maldivian presidential spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef said eight divers joined Friday’s recovery mission. The divers worked in pairs and explored deeper sections of the cave before worsening weather forced them to stop the operation.

However, rescue teams managed to create a preliminary map of the underwater cave system to support further searches. Shareef also said two Italian diving experts would join local authorities to help with the recovery mission.

The Italian government said it is working with the Divers Alert Network, a specialist diving organisation, to arrange the return of the bodies after recovery. According to the Associated Press, the cave system contains three large chambers connected by narrow underwater passages. Recovery teams have already searched two chambers, but decompression limits restricted the operation. Search teams are expected to continue exploring the third chamber on Saturday.

Investigators Examine Possible Causes

Authorities have not confirmed the exact reason behind the deaths, but investigators and diving experts are considering several possibilities. Maldivian police are examining whether rough weather and strong winds reduced visibility inside the underwater cave system. Reports said winds at the site reached 25 to 30 mph.

Italian newspaper La Repubblica reported that the divers may have lost their way after visibility worsened underwater. Carlo Sommacal, husband of Monica Montefalcone, said an “unexpected” incident may have caused the tragedy.

He told the publication that his wife was among the world’s most experienced divers and would never have endangered her daughter or the rest of the team. He also said Montefalcone carried a GoPro camera during the expedition, and investigators hope the footage could reveal what happened inside the cave.

Investigators are also exploring whether one diver became trapped, forcing the others into a rescue attempt that may have caused panic or air shortages. According to the BBC, some diving experts suspect oxygen toxicity may have contributed to the deaths. The condition can occur when divers use an unsuitable breathing gas mixture at extreme depths. Under high pressure, oxygen can become toxic and affect the body dangerously.

Cave Diving Carries Extreme Risks

Experts describe cave diving as one of the most dangerous forms of diving. The activity requires specialised training, advanced equipment and strict safety procedures.

The risks become even greater at deeper levels and inside enclosed underwater spaces. Divers can quickly lose direction in underwater caves, especially if disturbed sediment reduces visibility to almost zero.

The divers reportedly reached depths of 50 metres during the expedition. Experts say this exceeds the safe recreational scuba diving limit. Diving beyond 40 metres falls under technical diving and requires additional training, special equipment and extensive experience.

The standard recreational diving limit in the Maldives is 30 metres. The BBC reported that diving and snorkelling accidents remain relatively rare in the Maldives despite the country’s popularity as a diving destination.