Maldivian rescue diver dies during high-risk search for Italian divers in Vaavu Atoll
The incident at Vaavu Atoll, where victims explored depths of 60 metres against typical recreational limits, is being treated as the nation’s worst single diving accident.
Staff Sergeant Mohamed Mahdhee, a Maldivian rescue diver, has died from injuries sustained during a search-and-rescue operation for five Italian nationals who drowned in scuba-diving caves at Vaavu Atoll. The Maldives government confirmed that Mahdhee was taken to hospital in critical condition after blacking out during the dive and later succumbed to his injuries.
The operation, described by the Maldives military as very high risk due to unfavourable weather conditions, involved eight rescue divers entering the water on Saturday. When the team surfaced, it was discovered that Mahdhee had failed to emerge. Other divers immediately re-entered the water to retrieve him, finding that he had lost consciousness.
The five Italian victims were exploring caves at depths of approximately 50 to 60 metres. Police noted that recreational scuba divers in the Maldives are typically restricted to a depth of 30 metres, raising questions about why the group entered such deep cave systems. So far, authorities have recovered one body from a cave at a depth of around 60 metres.
The Italian group included four members of a University of Genoa team: ecology professor Monica Montefalcone, her daughter, and two researchers. The fifth victim was a boat operations manager and diving instructor. The five entered the water on Thursday morning and were reported missing after failing to resurface.
Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu visited the site on Saturday to observe the ongoing search operations. The incident is believed to be the worst single diving accident in the nation’s history. Twenty other Italian nationals aboard the Duke of York yacht, from which the divers departed, remain unharmed and are receiving assistance from the Italian Embassy in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
