Maldives Diving Accident: All 6 Bodies Recovered, Including Rescuer
The Maldives recently experienced its worst scuba diving tragedy in history. A five-member Italian diving team all perished on May 14 while exploring a deep-sea cave. During the search and rescue operation, a Maldives National Defence Force diver also died from decompression sickness, bringing the total death toll to six. The President's Media Office announced on the 20th that all bodies have been recovered and the operation has concluded. Authorities are investigating the cause of the accident, including whether the divers exceeded the depth limit, and have suspended the license of the involved dive boat.
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- 📰 Published: May 20, 2026 at 18:46
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(CNA Malé, May 20, Comprehensive Foreign Report) The Maldives has recently experienced a scuba diving accident resulting in the deaths of five divers and one rescue worker, marking the nation's worst-ever diving tragedy. The President's Media Office stated today that the bodies of the last two Italian divers have been recovered, concluding the search and rescue operation.
Reuters reported that the two divers were part of a five-person team that entered a deep-sea cave last week for exploration after obtaining the necessary permits to study soft corals in the Devana Kandu area.
An official from the Maldives President's Media Office stated today that the two bodies have been brought to the surface from the cave, and all deceased have been transported to the morgue in the capital, Malé.
The group included Monica Montefalcone, a 51-year-old professor and marine ecologist from the University of Genoa in Italy, her daughter Giorgia Sommacal, two young researchers Muriel Oddenino and Federico Gualtieri, and instructor Gianluca Benedetti.
All five perished during their dive on the 14th. The instructor's body was recovered shortly after, while the bodies of two other members were retrieved yesterday from a cave 60 meters underwater with the assistance of a team of Finnish experts.
Additionally, a diver from the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) died from decompression sickness after participating in the search and rescue efforts.
Italy's "Corriere della Sera" newspaper reported yesterday that the University of Genoa stated, "the scuba diving activity at the time of the accident was not a planned scientific mission activity, but was conducted on a personal basis," and that the application to the Maldivian authorities "was apparently also made outside the scope of the university's authorized mission."
AFP reported that the Maldives prohibits tourists from diving deeper than 30 meters. Authorities have suspended the operating license of the involved dive boat pending the results of the investigation.
Authorities are investigating multiple possible causes of their deaths, including whether the group dived deeper than planned.
Tourism is a vital source of revenue for the Maldives, a nation of 1,192 small coral islands and atolls spread across an approximately 800-kilometer stretch of the equatorial Indian Ocean.
Reuters reported that the two divers were part of a five-person team that entered a deep-sea cave last week for exploration after obtaining the necessary permits to study soft corals in the Devana Kandu area.
An official from the Maldives President's Media Office stated today that the two bodies have been brought to the surface from the cave, and all deceased have been transported to the morgue in the capital, Malé.
The group included Monica Montefalcone, a 51-year-old professor and marine ecologist from the University of Genoa in Italy, her daughter Giorgia Sommacal, two young researchers Muriel Oddenino and Federico Gualtieri, and instructor Gianluca Benedetti.
All five perished during their dive on the 14th. The instructor's body was recovered shortly after, while the bodies of two other members were retrieved yesterday from a cave 60 meters underwater with the assistance of a team of Finnish experts.
Additionally, a diver from the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) died from decompression sickness after participating in the search and rescue efforts.
Italy's "Corriere della Sera" newspaper reported yesterday that the University of Genoa stated, "the scuba diving activity at the time of the accident was not a planned scientific mission activity, but was conducted on a personal basis," and that the application to the Maldivian authorities "was apparently also made outside the scope of the university's authorized mission."
AFP reported that the Maldives prohibits tourists from diving deeper than 30 meters. Authorities have suspended the operating license of the involved dive boat pending the results of the investigation.
Authorities are investigating multiple possible causes of their deaths, including whether the group dived deeper than planned.
Tourism is a vital source of revenue for the Maldives, a nation of 1,192 small coral islands and atolls spread across an approximately 800-kilometer stretch of the equatorial Indian Ocean.