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Two Bodies Recovered From Maldives Underwater Cave as Search Continues for Final Two

The operation has prompted a probe into permits, depth limits, safety practices.

Overview

  • Finnish technical cave divers using closed-circuit rebreathers recovered two bodies Tuesday from the cave’s third chamber and police transferred them to Malé.
  • Authorities plan to retrieve the remaining two bodies Wednesday after locating all four at about 60 meters, well beyond the nation’s 30‑meter recreational limit.
  • Search efforts had paused after Maldivian sergeant major Mohamed Mahudhee died Saturday of suspected decompression sickness during a recovery dive.
  • The government opened an investigation into permits, depth authorizations and dive plans and suspended the operating license of the group’s vessel.
  • Officials identified the dead as professor Monica Montefalcone, her daughter Giorgia Sommacal, researchers Federico Gualtieri and Muriel Oddenino, and instructor Gianluca Benedetti.