'Worst In Country's History': Five Italian Divers Die In Deep-Sea Cave Diving Accident, Oxygen Toxicity Suspected

Last Updated:May 16, 2026, 12:13 IST

A prominent University of Genoa professor and her daughter are among the victims of the worst diving disaster in Maldivian history

A search and recovery mission is underway in the Maldives following what local authorities have termed the worst diving accident in the island nation’s history. Five Italian divers—including a prominent marine biologist and her daughter—tragically lost their lives on Thursday while exploring a deep underwater cave system in the Vaavu Atoll.

According to reports from the Associated Press (AP) and Italian media, only one body has been recovered so far, as treacherous weather conditions and extreme depths continue to hamper rescue efforts.

What Is Cave Diving?

Cave diving is a highly specialised form of technical scuba diving that involves exploring water-filled overhead environments. Unlike standard open-water diving, where a diver can make a direct vertical ascent to the surface in an emergency, cave diving offers no immediate escape route.

Operating under total darkness, divers must navigate tight, enclosed chambers, manage limited gas supplies, and contend with the risk of “silt-outs"—where disturbed sediment instantly reduces visibility to zero. Because the expedition in the Maldives took place at a profound depth of 50 meters (roughly 164 feet), the divers faced the added pressures of extreme decompression limits and the potential for oxygen toxicity or nitrogen narcosis.

Top Scientists Among The Victims

The Maldivian government has identified the victims as Monica Montefalcone, Giorgia Sommacal, Federico Gualtieri, Muriel Oddenino, and Gianluca Benedetti. The group was utilising a yacht named the Duke of York for their research expedition.

According to Italian media and the Daily Mail, the tragedy has devastated the scientific community, as at least four of the victims were closely tied to the University of Genoa:

Monica Montefalcone: A renowned marine biologist and professor of Tropical Marine Ecology and Underwater Science, who was serving as the scientific director of a Maldivian island monitoring campaign.

Giorgia Sommacal: Montefalcone’s daughter, a biomedical engineering graduate who shared her mother’s passion for the ocean.

Muriel Oddenino (31): An accomplished marine biologist, ecologist, and highly experienced diver who had authored multiple scientific publications.

Federico Gualtieri (31): A recent marine biology graduate and certified scuba diving instructor.

Gianluca Benedetti (44): A former banking professional who moved to the Maldives in 2017 to pursue diving. He served as the boat operations manager for the Duke of York and is currently the only victim whose body has been recovered.

Dangerous Recovery Efforts Underway

The Associated Press (AP) reported that the cave system consists of three large chambers interconnected by narrow, hazardous passages. Rescue teams have successfully searched the first two chambers, but operations have been strictly limited due to decompression constraints—the physical limits on how long a diver can safely stay at such extreme depths without risking decompression sickness.

Maldivian presidential spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef stated that eight divers, working in pairs, explored the deeper sections before winds of 25 to 30 mph and deteriorating weather forced a temporary suspension. However, the teams managed to create a preliminary map of the cave.

Shareef noted that two Italian diving experts are arriving to assist local teams, while the Italian government is coordinating with the Divers Alert Network (DAN) to facilitate the repatriation of the bodies once they are retrieved from the third and final chamber.

While investigators are looking into whether poor weather and zero visibility caused the divers to become trapped, diving experts suspect oxygen toxicity—a dangerous condition where breathing gases at high pressure causes central nervous system failure—may have played a role in the tragedy.

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