Maldives Dive Tragedy: Rescuer Questions Italian Divers' 'Suboptimal' Equipment in Vaavu Atoll Cave
A rescuer involved in the recovery of four Italian scuba divers from a deep cave in the Maldives’ Vaavu Atoll has described the equipment found with the deceased as "not optimal". Finnish diver Sami Paakkarinen, who documented the scene, told Italian media that the bodies were located "all together in one section of the cave", a site he characterised as very deep and "very challenging".
The first diver was found shortly after the group went missing on 14 May in the 60-metre-deep cave. The remaining three were located days later by a specialist team of Finnish and Maldivian divers. This incident, which also saw a Maldivian rescue diver, Staff Sgt Mohamed Mahdhee, die during the search operation last weekend, is believed to be the worst single diving accident in the Indian Ocean nation.
Paakkarinen informed La Repubblica newspaper that the cause could have been a "tragic human error", noting that investigators would determine the precise circumstances. He questioned the divers' presence in the cave "without the proper equipment", specifically mentioning the absence of a scuba diving reel or guide rope – essential safety gear for such hazardous underwater terrain. He underscored that "in most cave diving accidents, the main cause is always human error."
The Italian group included Professor Monica Montefalcone and research fellow Muriel Oddenino from the University of Genoa, who were conducting climate change research. Also among them were Giorgia Sommacal, Professor Montefalcone's daughter, and recent graduate Federico Gualtieri. Boat operations manager and diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti was the first victim recovered. An investigation into the accident is ongoing, with post-mortem examinations expected upon the bodies' repatriation to Italy this Saturday.
