Diver dies during search for bodies of missing Italians who drowned in Maldives caves as tragic death toll reaches six

A MALDIVIAN diver has died in the search for the bodies of four Italians who were killed in a fatal cave expedition.

Sergeant Major Mohammed Mahdi lost his life during the third day of recovery operations in Vaavu Atoll and was one of eight divers on the mission.

Sergeant Major Mohamed Mahudhee of the Maldivian Coast Guard died in the search for the missing divers Credit: X/@MNDF_Official

Divers preparing to search for the four missing Italian divers near Alimathaa Island, Vaavu Atoll Credit: AP

Monica Montefalcone, one of the five Italian scuba divers who died near Alimathaa in the Maldives archipelago Credit: AP

The Coast Guard member reportedly fell ill on the mission on Saturday and was rushed to hospital where died.

Announcing the news on X, the Maldivian military said: “His courage, sacrifice, and service to the nation will always be remembered. Our deepest condolences to his family and colleagues.”

Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani said: “These painful days for itIaly are even worse after news that a courageous serviceman, Sergeant Mohammed Mahdi, died following an attempt to reach the bodies of our countrymen.

“This tragedy has united Italy and the Maldives in our sorrow and respect for the victims.”

The five Italian divers were exploring caves up to 200ft underwater in the Maldives on Thursday morning but failed to resurface.

It has since been announced that the Duke of York yacht, from which the diving group launched their expedition, has had its license suspended.

Concerned friends aboard the luxury vessel revealed that they alerted authorities around noon, but help did not arrive until nearly three hours later.

Four of the five divers were part of a University of Genoa research team – which included renowned marine biologist and professor Monica Montefalcone.

She was joined by her daughter Giorgia Sommacal, researcher Muriel Oddenino and marine biologist Federico Gualtieri.

The fifth member was boat captain and experienced diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti, whose body was found alongside an empty oxygen tank at 6.15pm on Thursday evening.

A desperate search for the bodies has resumed after bad weather forced authorities to call off yesterday’s mission.

Italy’s foreign ministry said today: “Eight Maldivian divers are currently taking turns in the search operations.

“The first two divers have already gone underwater to locate and precisely mark the entrance to the series of caves where the Italian divers went missing.

Monica’s daughter, Giorgia Sommacal, was also on the dive Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk

The group were cave diving around Vaavu Atoll Credit: Shutterstock

“Six more divers will subsequently dive, in various shifts, to try to locate the bodies and bring them to the surface.”

Around 20 other people remained on the Duke of York while the expedition was underway, including students researchers and professors from the university.

One said: “We didn’t see them resurfacing. No balloon opened. That’s when we realized something was wrong and immediately raised the alarm.”

But despite alerting authorities immediately, it reportedly took rescuers about two and half hours to arrive.

Monica was a highly experience scuba diver

She was conducting research with Muriel Oddenino Credit: Facebook

One witness said: “The Maldives are huge, the atolls are very distant from each other, and rescuers arrive here by sea. It can take hours.”

Several tragic theories have emerged about how the highly experienced team could have succumb to such a fate.

Monica’s husband Carlo Sommacal believes that finding her body could reveal what went wrong.

He explained: “Monica usually had a GoPro when she went diving.”

Marine biologist Federico Gualtieri, 30, was on the dive

The body of experienced boat captain Gianluca Benedetti is the only one to have been found

“I don’t know if she had one the other day. If they find it, maybe from there we can understand what happened.”

Carlo has fiercely defended his wife and her team amid questions over the safety of their expedition.

He said his Monica was an “expert” who had done over 5,000 dives and “knows what to do even in times of difficulty”.

Carlo told La Repubblica daily: “She would never have put her daughter’s life or the lives of the other children at risk out of recklessness.

“Something happened down there.”

He likewise defended “meticulous” Gianluca, saying: “He checked everything: the tanks, the weather conditions. He’s not a fool.”

Heartbroken Federico Colombo, the boyfriend of Giorgia, paid tribute to his late loved one.

“She was a girlfriend, a friend, a sister. I confided in her; she helped me through the toughest times of my life,” he said.

Federico added that the pair had been excited about an upcoming trip to Egypt with Giorgia’s family.

He added: “She loved diving more than anything else. Every time she finished a dive, she’d always send me photos and tell me everything in minute detail, as if she wanted me to see the sea through her eyes.

“She often told me that, sooner or later, she’d let me experience that feeling that made her so happy.

“In the water, she seemed to feel free, in her natural element.”