Remains of four Italian divers repatriated after Maldives cave tragedy
The remains of four Italian divers who died during a deep cave dive in the Maldives were repatriated to Italy after a challenging recovery in Vaavu Atoll; five divers vanished on May 14, with the instructor's body recovered earlier. A Maldivian diver died during the operation, and three Finnish expert cave divers located the four bodies in the innermost chamber at about 60 meters depth (200 feet), far beyond the typical recreational limit of 30 meters. Investigations were opened in the Maldives into the incident and the on-duty death, with Italy potentially receiving autopsy findings if performed. Victims identified as Monica Montefalcone, Giorgia Sommacal, Federico Gualtieri, Muriel Oddenino, and Gianluca Benedetti.
