Search Concludes with Recovery of Missing Italian Divers in Maldives

The bodies of four Italians missing after a scuba diving expedition in the Maldives have been found in a deep underwater cave, reported the Maldives National Defense Force on Monday. This discovery follows days of efforts by an international team of rescue divers. One body was previously found last Thursday, the same day the group disappeared.

According to a statement on social media, the four were located within a cave in the Vaavu Atoll during a joint search operation. Experts from Italy had joined the search efforts. These recent findings conclude the extensive search by international rescuers who explored deepwater formations for the missing divers. Tragically, one of the search team members, a diver from the Maldives National Defense Forces, died on Saturday due to decompression illness.

The divers were part of a larger group from Italy visiting the Maldives, a popular diving destination known for its clear waters. The dive last Thursday aimed to explore deepwater reefs and caves, a venture requiring specialized gear and considered hazardous by the Maldives defense force. Twenty other Italians on the trip did not participate in the dive and remain unharmed.

The divers, which included a marine scientist and her daughter, failed to resurface after diving to cave depths around 50 meters (164 feet). Authorities received a distress call around noon that day, with one body subsequently found deeper than anticipated at 196 feet. The report states that the remaining bodies will be retrieved in the following days.

Reporting support was provided from the Maldives, with contributions from Ibrahim Maahil Mohamed. International news coverage by Ali Watkins for The Times is based in Belfast.