Overview
- The group, which entered the water Thursday from the safari boat Duke of York, was exploring underwater caves about 50 to 60 meters deep in the Vaavu Atoll when they failed to return.
- A Maldivian military diver, Mohamed Mahudhee, died Saturday after suffering decompression illness during the recovery effort, a life‑threatening condition caused by rapid pressure changes.
- Officials suspended the Duke of York’s operating license pending the investigation and are examining why the dive exceeded the country’s 30‑meter recreational limit.
- The victims are Professor Monica Montefalcone of the University of Genoa, her daughter Giorgia Sommacal, researcher Muriel Oddenino, marine biologist Federico Gualtieri, and dive instructor Gianluca Benedetti.
- Recovery crews describe a three‑chamber cave with tight passages that sharply limit time at depth, and Italian specialists plus the Divers Alert Network are supporting a step‑by‑step search of the remaining chamber.