Maldives rescue diver dies during search for Italian scuba diving victims

email: online@newsofbahrain.com 

Vaavu Atoll: A rescue diver has died while participating in a recovery operation for five Italian scuba divers who died in a cave diving accident in the Maldives earlier this week.

The Maldivian government said Staff Sgt Mohamed Mahdhee was taken to hospital in critical condition after surfacing from a deep-water search operation, where he later died.

Authorities confirmed that eight rescue divers were involved in the mission when Mahdhee failed to resurface. He was later found unconscious underwater and could not be revived.

The operation is part of ongoing efforts to recover the bodies of five Italian nationals who died on Thursday while diving at depths of around 50 metres in Vaavu Atoll. One body has so far been recovered from a cave at approximately 60 metres depth.

Officials said the incident is believed to be the worst single diving accident in the Maldives, a country known for its popular diving and marine tourism.

Maldivian authorities have described the conditions during the search as highly challenging due to rough weather and strong currents. Italy’s foreign ministry has expressed condolences, calling the incident a shared tragedy between the two nations.

Four of the deceased Italian divers were linked to the University of Genoa, while the fifth was a diving instructor and boat operations manager.

Investigations into the circumstances of the dive are ongoing.