Italian Divers Die in Maldives Scuba Diving Accident Near Alimathaa

Five Italian divers died in the maldives scuba diving accident near Alimathaa after exploring a deep underwater cave off the Maldives. Authorities were alerted by midday Thursday, when the group failed to surface in rough weather, and investigators are still working on how the dive ended in death.

The dead were Monica Montefalcone, 52, Giorgia Sommacal, 20, marine biologist Federico Gualtieri, researcher Muriel Oddenino, and diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti. Carlo Sommacal, Monica Montefalcone’s husband, said she “would never have put the life of our daughter or other kids at risk” and added, “My only certainty is that my wife is one of the best scuba divers on the face of the earth.”

Vaavu Atoll cave search

Italy’s Foreign Ministry said the group apparently died while trying to explore caves at a depth of 50 meters, or 164 feet. Maldivian presidential spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef said the cave is exceptionally dangerous and told reporters, “The cave is so deep that divers even with the best equipment do not try to approach.”

Gianluca Benedetti was found dead near the cave entrance shortly after the group disappeared. Authorities believe the bodies of the four remaining divers are trapped deep inside a cave system about 160 feet underwater near Vaavu Atoll, a dive site off Alimathaa in the central Maldives.

Montefalcone family response

Monica Montefalcone was an associate ecology professor at the University of Genoa, and the victims also included people described as marine researchers and experienced divers. Carlo Sommacal said in a separate interview with an Italian television station, “Something must have happened,” as the family pushed for answers after the deaths.

The cause of the deaths remains under investigation. The account now centers on what happened inside the cave, where the first diver was found near the entrance and the other four were believed to be farther inside the underwater system.