Tragic Diving Accident in Maldives Claims Six Lives
Inside the Maldives ‘shark cave’ where 6 people lost their lives
Metro
Image: Metro
A tragic diving accident in the Maldives claimed the lives of six individuals, including five Italian divers and a Maldivian military rescuer. The group entered a 160-foot deep cave known as ‘Dhevana Kandu’ in Vaavu Atoll, exceeding legal diving limits. Investigations are ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
- 01The deceased include ecology professor Monica Montefalcone, her daughter Giorgia Sommacal, and marine biologist Federico Gualtieri.
- 02The cave, known as ‘Dhevana Kandu,’ was renamed to deter inexperienced divers from entering.
- 03Local authorities stated that the dive exceeded legal depth limits for recreational diving.
- 04The Italian tour operator managing the dive denied knowledge of the group's deep dive plans.
- 05Finnish specialist divers located the bodies and recovered GoPro cameras that may provide insights into the incident.
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A diving accident in the Maldives has resulted in the deaths of six individuals, marking one of the worst diving tragedies in the country's history. Five Italian divers, including ecology professor Monica Montefalcone and her daughter Giorgia Sommacal, drowned after entering a 160-foot deep cave known as ‘Dhevana Kandu’ in Vaavu Atoll. Their diving instructor, Gianluca Benedetti, also perished, along with Maldivian military rescuer Mohamed Mahudhee, who died from decompression illness during recovery efforts. The cave is notoriously dangerous, requiring advanced technical diving skills, and is often referred to as a ‘shark cave.’ Local authorities have indicated that the dive exceeded legal limits for recreational diving, and the Italian tour operator involved has denied any prior knowledge of the group's intentions to dive deep. Investigators are now analyzing footage from GoPro cameras recovered from the scene to understand the circumstances leading to the tragedy.
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This incident raises serious concerns about diving safety regulations in the Maldives, particularly for tourists engaging in deep diving activities.
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