A Maldivian rescue diver has died during a recovery operation for victims of a deadly scuba diving incident involving Italian tourists in an underwater cave in the Indian Ocean archipelago. The diver, identified as Mohamed Mahudhee of the Maldivian national defense force, suffered decompression sickness, known as “the bends,” after surfacing and was later pronounced dead at a hospital in the capital, Malé.
Officials said eight rescue divers entered the water during the recovery effort. When they returned to the surface, they realized Mahudhee was missing and later found he had blacked out underwater. Authorities said the risks underscored the extreme difficulty of the ongoing mission to recover the bodies of five Italian nationals who died while diving in a cave at an estimated depth of about 164 feet in the Vaavu Atoll region.
Search teams have already recovered the body of diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti near the cave entrance, while efforts to locate the remaining four victims were temporarily halted due to poor weather conditions. The deceased Italian group includes an ecology professor, her daughter, a marine biologist, and a researcher, with officials saying the diving excursion occurred separately from a scientific mission they were participating in.
Authorities said recreational diving limits in the region typically cap at around 98 feet, and investigators are reviewing why the group entered a deeper cave environment. Several other Italian nationals traveling with the group have been confirmed safe, while officials have suspended the operating license of the dive vessel involved as part of an ongoing investigation into the incident.
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