Five tourists die in tragic Maldives scuba dive including mum and daughter

Five tourists have died in a scuba diving accident in the Maldives.

The group, from Italy, had been exploring underwater caves in the Vaavu Atoll at a depth or around 50 metres on Thursday.

Four of the divers were part of a team from the University of Genoa, including respected marine biologist Monica Montefalcone, 51, her daughter and two researchers.

It is believed to be the worst single diving accident to occur in the South Asian nation, which is popular with sightseers because of its vibrant coral reef system.

Italy’s foreign ministry did not give ‌any ⁠details about the exact cause of ​the ​accident.

The five divers – named as Ms Montefalcone, her daughter Giorgia Sommacal, 20, research fellow Muriel Oddenino, marine biology graduate Federico Gualtieri, and boat operations manager and diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti – entered the water on Thursday morning, local reports said.

The crew of the ‘luxury’ Duke of York yacht they had been travelling on reported them missing when they failed to resurface near Alimatha, a popular diving spot.

A major search was launched including aircraft and speedboats, the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) said in a statement.

‘One body has been found among five divers who went diving in Vaavu Atoll,’ the agency added.

‘The body was found inside a cave. It is believed that the remaining four divers are also inside the same cave, which extends to a depth of about 60 metres.’
Authorities have not disclosed the identity of the diver whose body was recovered.

Rescue teams will resume their search for the remaining bodies today.

Police have launched an investigation into the tragedy, with several hypotheses to examine.

They said weather was rough in the area.

Winds were blowing at up to 30mph and a yellow warning had been issued for passenger boats and fishermen.

The fact none of the four divers resurfaced suggested they may have become lost in an underwater cave, Italian newspaper La Repubblica reports.

Another possibility suggested was that one of the four got stuck and the others ran out of air while trying to free them.

The Maldives is one of the world’s most popular diving destinations, with the Vaavu Atoll famous for night diving and channel diving.

Local regulations permit diving to a maximum depth of 30 metres, but experienced professionals are known to go deeper.

Diving and snorkelling accidents are relatively rare in the tiny Indian Ocean nation, although several fatalities have been reported in recent years.

Last December, an experienced British female tourist drowned in a scuba incident off the island resort of Ellaidhoo. Her 71-year-old husband died days later after falling ill.

A 26-year-old Japanese tourist went missing after a diving expedition near the capital Malé in June.

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