Five Italians Die in Vaavu Atoll Dive Accident

Five Italian tourists died during an underwater dive in vaavu atoll in the Maldives after going missing at depths of about 50-60m. Staff on the boat alerted authorities at about 1.45pm local time, more than an hour after the divers were overdue.

Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: “Following an accident during a scuba dive, five Italians died in the Vaavu atoll, in the Maldives.” Italian authorities said they were contacting the victims’ families to provide consular assistance.

Monica Montefalcone and Giorgia Sommacal

Among the dead were Monica Montefalcone, 51, a marine biologist, television personality and professor of tropical marine ecology and underwater science at the University of Genoa, and her 20-year-old daughter, Giorgia Sommacal. The other victims were Muriel Oddenino, Gianluca Benedetti and Federico Gualtieri. Montefalcone and Oddenino were colleagues at the University of Genoa.

Underwater cave recovery

One body was recovered around 6.15pm from an underwater cave, and the Maldives’ military said it believed the other four bodies were also there. Local authorities said the incident was the worst single diving accident to happen in the Maldives, and they launched an investigation.

Claudio Micheletto, a respiratory expert, said the sudden deaths of multiple divers may have been caused by oxygen toxicity, but authorities had not identified a cause of death. A yellow alert was in effect in the dive area because of rough seas and worsening weather, while the tourists were sailing on the Duke of York, a luxury ship built in 2010 with 11 luxury cabins across three decks that carries up to 21 guests and offers one-week cruises for just over €2000.

Italy and Maldives response

The deaths have left Italian consular officials dealing with families while Maldivian authorities investigate what happened in Vaavu atoll. The next practical step is the inquiry into the dive, the boat’s route and the conditions in the water when the group disappeared.