What Went Wrong on the Maldives Diving Excursion That Claimed 5 Lives

Five Italian divers who vanished during a deep-sea excursion in the Maldives were later found dead inside an underwater cave nearly 50 meters below the surface, raising growing questions about whether the group exceeded recreational diving limits and entered conditions far more dangerous than expected.

The tragedy deepened when a Maldivian military diver died during the recovery operation, underscoring the extreme risks rescuers faced inside the cave system in Vaavu Atoll.

Authorities are now investigating what may have gone wrong, including the depth of the dive, the equipment used, and whether proper safety protocols were followed.

Did the Group Dive Deeper Than the Law Allows?

The mouth of the cave sits roughly 47 to 50 meters below the ocean's surface. The legal recreational diving limit in the Maldives is 30 meters, and anything beyond 40 meters requires specialized training and equipment.

Maldives government chief spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef said the country’s laws prohibit both recreational and commercial divers from descending beyond 30 meters. He added:

"Unfortunately, this appears to have happened a lot deeper because even the cave's mouth is almost 50 meters under."

Orietta Stella, the lawyer representing Italian tour operator Albatros Top Boat, told Italy's Corriere della Sera that the group appeared to be using standard recreational gear rather than technical, deep-diving equipment.

Who Were the Five Divers?

The group consisted of four people affiliated with the University of Genoa and their diving instructor, Gianluca Benedetti.

Monica Montefalcone, an associate professor of ecology, was in the Maldives on a scientific mission to study the impact of climate change on marine biodiversity.

Her daughter, Giorgia Sommacal, 20, and research fellow Muriel Oddenino were also part of the group, as was Federico Gualtieri, 31, a recent marine ecology graduate.

A sixth person had been expected to join but changed her mind as the group entered the water, Italian authorities confirmed.

"She's probably done 5,000 dives, and she's always been conscientious," Montefalcone's husband, Carlo Sommacal, said:

"She would never have put our daughter's or other children's lives at risk."

What Experts Say Could Have Gone Wrong Inside the Cave

No cause has been confirmed, but diving experts have raised several possibilities.

Claudio Micheletto, director of pulmonology at the University Hospital of Verona, suggested the group may have experienced a problem with their air tanks. He explained that oxygen toxicity at extreme depths can trigger symptoms including dizziness, pain, confusion, and impaired consciousness, potentially leaving divers unable to return safely to the surface.

British cave diving expert John Volanthen, who played a role in the 2018 Thai cave rescue, pointed to nitrogen narcosis, a disorienting condition caused by breathing compressed air at depth.

He explained that the deeper divers descend, the more the condition can trigger panic and make it harder for them to navigate their way back out of the cave.

Why Did the Rescue Mission Become So Dangerous?

According to Divers Alert Network Europe, the cave system reaches roughly 70 meters at its deepest point and stretches about 200 meters in length, with narrow passages, strong currents, and total darkness creating highly dangerous diving conditions.

The risks became clear during the recovery effort itself.

Staff Sergeant Mohamed Mahudhee, 43, one of the most senior divers in the Maldives National Defence Force, died on May 16 after developing decompression sickness during a rescue attempt.

He was laid to rest with full military honors in the capital, Malé, where hundreds gathered, including President Mohamed Muizzu. Shareef said:

"He was one of the most senior divers, which shows just how challenging this dive is."

The four remaining Italian divers were located on May 18 by a team from Divers Alert Network Europe, using specialized rebreathers and underwater scooters.

They were found together in the deepest section of the cave. A diver surfaced carrying a logbook with four words written across the page:

"WE FOUND ALL FOUR."

What Are Investigators Focused on Now?

The operating license for the Duke of York, the vessel used for the excursion, has been suspended as investigators examine whether safety protocols were followed.

Through its lawyer, Italian tour operator Albatros Top Boat said the company was unaware the group intended to dive beyond the Maldives’ 30-meter recreational limit and said it would not have approved the descent had it known.

The University of Genoa also stated that the cave dive was conducted privately and was not part of any university-authorized research activity.

Officials said two members of the group, Sommacal and Benedetti, were not included on the scientific research permit, while the cave dive itself was not referenced in the original proposal.

Maldives government spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef said authorities plan to fully investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.