A Maldivian military diver has died during a high-risk operation to recover the bodies of four Italian scuba divers who drowned while exploring a deep underwater cave in the Maldives.
The diver suffered underwater decompression sickness after searching for the bodies of the Italians.
Mohamed Hussain Shareef, the Maldives presidential spokesman, said Mohamed Mahudhee, a member of the Maldivian national defence force, died of the sickness after being transferred to a hospital in the capital, Malé.
“The death goes to show the difficulty of the mission,” he said.
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Divers had on Saturday resumed their search for the bodies of four Italian scuba divers who drowned while exploring a deep underwater cave.
Due to rough weather on Friday, Maldivian authorities had temporarily suspended the operation to recover the bodies.
Five Italian divers died on Thursday in what authorities have called one of the worst diving incidents in the island nation’s recent history.
Italy’s foreign ministry said the dive group had “apparently died while attempting to explore caves at a depth of 50m (164ft)” in the Vaavu Atoll on Thursday.
The victims were identified as Monica Montefalcone, an associate ecology professor at the University of Genoa; her daughter Giorgia Sommacal; marine biologist Federico Gualtieri; researcher Muriel Oddenino; and diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti, according to the Maldivian government.
Benedetti’s body was recovered on Thursday.
Maldivian spokesman Shareef said eight divers took part in Friday’s search and, working in pairs, explored the depths and drew up a map to continue the mission on Saturday.
He said Benedetti’s body was found near the mouth of the cave and authorities believed the remaining four had entered the cave.
Two Italians – a deep-sea rescue expert and a cave-diving expert – are expected to join the recovery effort, Shareef said.
Italian officials said about 20 other Italians who were on the same expedition aboard a vessel named the Duke of York were safe.
The vessel was searching for safe harbour amid poor weather, and was waiting for conditions to improve before returning to Malé, the Italian ministry said.
The Italian ministry said it was co-ordinating with the Divers Alert Network, a specialist diving organisation, to support recovery operations and the repatriation of the bodies.
It said the cave entered by the five divers was divided into three large chambers connected by narrow passages. Recovery teams explored two of the three chambers, but the search was limited due to considerations over oxygen and decompression.
They would explore the third chamber on Saturday, the ministry said.
Montefalcone’s husband, Carlo Sommacal, said he believed something unexpected must have occurred and ruled out recklessness on her part.
“Something must have happened,” he told Italian TV channel Rete 4.
He said his wife was a disciplined diver who carefully weighed risks before each descent. He recalled her telling him at times: “This one I can do, you can’t.”
Sommacal said his wife survived the 2004 tsunami while diving off Kenya, resurfacing with other experienced divers despite the danger, and later returned to diving after a lengthy recovery from serious health complications.
“She had two lives – one on land and one in her environment, the water,” he said.
Cave diving is a highly technical and dangerous activity that requires specialised training, equipment and strict safety protocols.
Risks increase sharply in overhead environments and at depth, particularly when conditions deteriorate.
Experts say it is easy to become disoriented or lost inside caves, particularly as sediment clouds can sharply reduce visibility.
Diving at 50m also exceeds the maximum depth recommended for recreational divers by most major established scuba certifying agencies, with depths beyond 40m considered technical diving, which requires specialised training and equipment.
The recreational diving limit in the Maldives is 30m. – AP, Guardian
