Rescue Diver Dies in Search for Italian Divers in Maldives
A rescue diver has died while conducting a search for the bodies of four Italians who perished in a scuba diving accident in the Maldives.
Staff Sgt Mohamed Mahdhee was transported to hospital in critical condition and later died from his injuries, a government spokesman informed the BBC on Saturday.
The five Italians lost their lives while attempting to explore underwater caves at a depth of approximately 50 meters (164 feet). To date, only one body has reportedly been recovered, found in a cave at around 60 meters (197 feet) deep.
This incident is considered the deadliest single diving accident in the Maldives, a small Indian Ocean nation renowned for its coral islands and popularity as a tourist destination.
The Maldives military characterized the rescue mission as extremely high risk, with teams contending with adverse weather conditions.
Details of the Italian Diving Team
Four of the deceased Italians were members of a University of Genoa team, including ecology professor Monica Montefalcone, her daughter, and two researchers. The fifth individual was a boat operations manager and diving instructor.
The group entered the water at Vaavu Atoll on Thursday morning, according to local media reports, and were declared missing after failing to resurface.
Police noted that weather conditions were rough in the area, situated about 100 kilometers (62 miles) south of the Maldivian capital, Male. A yellow warning had been issued for passenger boats and fishermen.
Government spokesman Mohamed Hussain Shareef stated:
"Recreational scuba divers were only allowed to dive up to a depth of 30 meters, and it was not clear why the Italians ventured into a cave 60 meters underwater."
Additional Information and Ongoing Response
Italy's foreign ministry reported that another 20 Italian nationals aboard the Duke of York yacht, from which the five divers departed, were unharmed and are receiving assistance from the Embassy of Italy in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
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