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Divers connected Wednesday (May 20, 2026) recovered the past 2 bodies of the 4 Italians who died heavy wrong an underwater cave successful the Maldives past week.
The Italian divers had been exploring the cave successful Vaavu Atoll past Thursday (May 14, 2026) erstwhile they disappeared. The assemblage of their Italian diving teacher was recovered extracurricular the cave, and the Finnish betterment divers brought the bodies of 2 of the divers to the aboveground connected Tuesday (May 19, 2026).
Presidential spokesperson Mohameed Hussain Shareef said the past 2 bodies were recovered by 3 Finnish divers supported by the Maldives Coast Guard and Police.
The bodies were taken to a morgue and were identified arsenic Muriel Oddenino and Giorgia Sommacal. On Tuesday (May 19, 2026) Monica Montefalcone and Federico Gualtieri were brought out, authorities spokesperson Ahmed Shaam said. The instructor, Gianluca Benedetti, was recovered adjacent the rima of the cave the time the divers disappeared.
“After that we volition coordinate with the Italian authorities and commencement the process to repatriate the bodies,” Mr. Shareef said. He thanked the Finnish divers, praising them for their professionalism and leadership.
The 4 bodies had been located connected Monday (May 18, 2026) astatine a extent of astir 60 metres, doubly the ineligible extent for recreational diving successful the land nation. The hunt had been temporarily suspended aft a section subject diver died during a perilous retrieval attempt.
The Maldives authorities said the betterment divers spotted the bodies successful the cave's innermost area. Shaam said the 4 bodies were recovered “pretty overmuch together”.
The cave has been explored successful the past by section experts and overseas divers, Presidential spokesperson Shareef told The Associated Press earlier.
While the Italian divers had a permit, authorities didn't cognize from their connection the nonstop determination of the cave they were exploring, and astatine slightest 2 of the dormant were not connected the database of researchers that had been submitted, “so we didn't cognize they were portion of the expedition,” Mr. Shareef said.
He described the conditions heavy successful the cave arsenic “challenging” with hard terrain, beardown currents and mediocre visibility.
He said an alert had besides been issued owed to atrocious weather, and investigators indispensable find whether the divers took capable precautions.
The Divers' Alert Network Europe, which deployed the Finnish divers, described them arsenic method and cave divers with acquisition successful hunt and betterment missions, including operations successful “deep overhead environments, confined spaces and high-risk scenarios”.
The origin of decease of the Maldivian subject diver was inactive nether investigation, but colleagues person suggested helium whitethorn person died from nitrogen narcosis oregon decompression astatine depth.
