A rescue diver revealed that the equipment used by four Italian divers who died in an underwater cave in the Maldives was "unsuitable" for diving in a dangerous area, while officials prepare to send the bodies back to Italy following the country's deadliest diving tragedy.
On 23 May 2026, Sami Pakkarinen, a Finnish diver and member of the rescue team that recovered the bodies of four Italian divers in a Maldives underwater cave, told Italian local media that the equipment used by the group on the day of the incident was "inappropriate" for deep cave diving and hazardous areas.
Pakkarinen stated that all the bodies were found together at a single spot inside an underwater cave near Vaavu Atoll, at a depth of approximately 60 meters. This is considered an extremely difficult and dangerous diving site, and the rescue team took several days to reach this location.
He observed that the divers did not use specialized cave diving equipment such as guide ropes or safety lines, which are essential for safely navigating complex underwater areas. He noted that professional cave divers would not enter such areas without this equipment. The rescue diver also suggested that human error might have caused the tragedy, although final conclusions await official investigation results.
The deceased included Professor Monica Montefalcone, a marine biologist from the University of Genoa; researcher Muriel Oddenino; Georgia Sommacal, Professor Montefalcone’s daughter; and Federico Gualtieri, a recent graduate. The first victim found earlier was Gianluca Benedetti, a diving instructor and boat manager.
Reports state that the group entered the water on 14 May but went missing after failing to resurface amid unstable weather conditions and strong waves. The Maldives authorities issued a yellow warning for passenger boats and fishermen in the area.
Meanwhile, one Maldivian rescue diver died during the search for the missing divers, making this incident one of the deadliest diving accidents in Maldives history, a renowned tourist destination in the Indian Ocean.
Source: BBC