MALDIVES: Professional divers from Finland and Maldives, on Monday (18th May, 2026) located bodies of the four Italian scuba divers (who went missing last week) in a sixty-meter deep cave here in Vaavu atoll.
It is pertinent to mention here that on 16th May a Maldivian rescue diver too lost his life in the water while searching for the remains of the Italian group. Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed that bodies were present in the third section of the cave (i.e. furthest from entrance).
Porte Parole of the Maldivian government told that further dives will have to be carried out to reach the bodies from such a depth. According to planning, divers will bring out two bodies on 19th May and two more on 20th May.
Commenting on the dexterity of the Finnish rescuers, Divers’ Alert Network Europe stated that they had global experience in search and recovery operations including deep overhead environments, confined spaces, and high-risk scenarios.
Earlier, Italian government by means of a Press Release stated: “Diving operations have begun in the Maldives to recover the bodies of the missing scuba divers. Tajani is in contact with the Ambassador on board. The Maldives’ Coast Guard has begun diving operations to retrieve the bodies of the four divers missing in last Thursday’s scuba accident.
“ Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani is in contact with the Italian Ambassador to Colombo, Damiano Francovigh (responsible for the Maldives), and the Honorary Consul in Malé, Giorgia Marazzi, who are aboard the Coast Guard’s support vessel “Ghazee” to oversee the recovery operations. Minister Tajani has instructed the Foreign Ministry to monitor the recovery of the bodies and to provide assistance to the families of the missing scuba divers and to the Italian nationals who shall now return to Italy.
“At his request, the Maldivian police will make available a team to provide psychological support to the Italian nationals involved. The “Duke of York,” the yacht carrying the 25 Italian tourists, including the five missing scuba divers, has just reached the capital, Malé.
“Eight Maldivian divers are currently at sea taking turns in operations. The first two have already dived to locate and precisely mark the entrance point to the series of caves where the Italian scuba divers disappeared. Six more divers will subsequently dive in shifts to attempt to locate the bodies and bring them to the surface.“
Newspakistan.tv
