Four Italian divers who went missing in what authorities are calling the Maldives’ deadliest diving tragedy have been located inside an underwater cave, officials from both the Maldives and Italy confirmed on Monday following a multinational recovery mission.
The discovery comes four days after five Italian divers failed to resurface during an expedition in the Indian Ocean on Thursday. While one body was recovered shortly after the incident, the remaining four were found deep inside a cave system but have yet to be brought to the surface.
The search operation also turned tragic for rescuers. A diver from the Maldivian National Defence Force (MNDF), Staff Sergeant Mohamed Mahudhy, lost his life on Saturday after suffering complications linked to decompression sickness during the rescue effort. The mission involved international support, including specialists from Finland’s Divers Alert Network, a global diving safety organisation.
In an official statement, the MNDF said the four missing divers were located during a coordinated search operation in a cave within Vaavu Atoll. Italy’s foreign ministry later confirmed the discovery.
Search activities had briefly been halted following the death of the MNDF rescuer but resumed Monday with assistance from teams from Italy, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Authorities said additional dives are planned over the coming days to recover the bodies safely.
Chief Government Spokesman Mohamed Hussain Shareef said the divers were discovered together in a section of the cave that proved to be significantly larger and deeper than initially estimated.
“They were found close to one another in the third chamber of the cave, which turned out to be much more extensive than first believed,” Shareef told AFP.
According to officials, the recovery operation will likely take place in stages, with two bodies expected to be retrieved first, followed by the remaining two. The cave lies at a depth of around 60 metres (195 feet) — double the maximum depth permitted for recreational diving tourists in the Maldives.
Italy’s University of Genoa identified the victims as a marine biology professor, her daughter, and two young researchers, highlighting the profound loss to the academic and scientific community.
In response to the incident, Maldivian authorities have suspended the licence of the luxury dive vessel involved and launched a formal investigation into potential violations of diving safety regulations.
Tourism remains the backbone of the Maldivian economy, with the island nation’s turquoise lagoons, coral reefs, and luxury resorts attracting divers and holidaymakers from across the globe. Although water sports accidents are uncommon, the tragedy has renewed attention on diving safety standards in one of the world’s most sought-after marine destinations.