6 victims at a depth of 55 meters: the worst diving disaster in the history of the Maldives (5 photos)

The Maldives experienced the most widespread and tragic diving accident in the archipelago's history. Five experienced Italian divers failed to return from a deep-sea cave near Vaavu Atoll.





The Italian Foreign Ministry and the Rome Prosecutor's Office have already joined the investigation into the incident, which is officially recognized as the deadliest in the history of diving in the archipelago. The situation was further exacerbated by the death of a Maldivian Coast Guard diver during a search operation.

The expedition consisted of highly qualified specialists and young researchers closely associated with the University of Genoa (UniGe). Authorities have confirmed the identities of all five victims:



Monica Montefalcone (51) is a renowned Italian scientist and associate professor in the Department of Ecology and Marine Biology at the University of Genoa, who has dedicated her life to studying the ocean.

Giorgia Sommacal (23) is her daughter, a biomedical engineering student at the same university, who accompanied her mother on the trip.

Muriel Oddenino (31) is a researcher and scientist from Turin who has participated in university projects.





Federico Gualtieri is a young marine biologist who just this past March defended his thesis with distinction under the supervision of Monica Montefalcone.

Gianluca Benedetti (50) is an experienced diving instructor and ship captain. His body was the first to be discovered and recovered by rescuers.



Yacht Duke of York.

The group was based on the cruise yacht Duke of York. The tragedy occurred during a descent into a complex, extensive underwater cave system at a critical depth of approximately 55 meters. The explorers did not return to the surface.

The search and rescue operation is taking place under extreme conditions. The abyss of the Maldives has claimed another life: a Maldivian coast guard sergeant died during a deep-sea search. Due to the critical danger to the divers' lives, the operation has been temporarily suspended. Maldivian authorities have already urgently revoked the license of the cruise ship Duke of York pending a full investigation.



Image of the accident area on Google Maps – the island at the top is Alimataa (MDNF).

Technical diving experts agree that the tragedy occurred instantly and identify two main causes. Vaavu Atoll is known for its treacherous downdrafts, which can suck a person into the cavern in seconds. At a depth of 55 meters, regular air from cylinders becomes deadly due to the enormous pressure. Divers were required to use special gas mixtures. If there was an error in the gas mixtures in the chamber or when preparing the cylinders, people could instantly lose consciousness at depth (known as nitrogen narcosis or "deep rapture").

A day of mourning has been declared at the University of Genoa. Italian prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation to determine who was responsible for the safety and equipment preparation for the fateful expedition.