University professor Monica Montefalcone was been as one of the victims(Image: Greenpeace via AP)
Some of the last words written by one of five Italian divers who lost their lives in a scuba diving accident in the Maldives have been revealed.
Before her death, Monica Montefalcone, an associate professor of ecology at the University of Genoa, urged further study of “the underwater environment”, calling it “fundamental”. She wrote the words, adding that study was important “with our own eyes or through the lens of a robot”, in an email to a colleague on Wednesday night, a mere few hours before she died.
Ms Montefalcone’s body and that of her daughter, Giorgia Sommacal; marine biologist Federico Gualtieri; researcher Muriel Oddenino are yet to be recovered and presumed to be deep inside an underwater cave. The body of diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti has been recovered.
Monica Montefalcone during a dive(Image: Sebago/YouTube)
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As scrutiny over the dive mounts, Ms Montefalcone’s husband Carlo Sommacal told La Republica his wife had “never been a reckless person”. The group is believed to have died while exploring a cave at a depth of about 50 metres (160ft) in Vaavu Atoll on Thursday, according to Italy’s foreign ministry.
The recreational diving limit in the Maldives is 30 metres (98ft). Mr Sommacal said: “She would have never jeopardised the life of our daughter or any other young people.”
The cause of the deaths remains under investigation. Earlier, authorities in the Maldives confirmed a military diver had died during the search for the bodies.
Giorgia Sommacal, Ms Montefalcone’s daughter(Image: Giorgia Sommacal/Instagram)
Maldives presidential spokesman Mohammed Hussain Shareef said Mohamed Mahudhee, a member of the Maldivian National Defence Force, died of underwater decompression sickness after being transferred to a hospital in the capital. “The death goes to show the difficulty of the mission,” he said.
Earlier, Mr Shareef said the searchers had prepared a plan based on their progress exploring the cave on Friday. Mr Mahudhee was part of the group that briefed Maldives president Mohamed Muizzu on the rescue plan when he visited the search site on Friday.
Rough weather has repeatedly hampered recovery efforts.The Italian foreign minister Antonio Tajani said everything possible would be done to bring the victims home. His ministry stated it was coordinating with Divers Alert Network, a specialist diving organisation, to support recovery operations and the repatriation of the bodies.
Members of the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) take part in a search and recovery operation in the Vaavu Atoll(Image: SOPHIA NASIF/EPA/Shutterstock)
Ms Montefalcone and Ms Oddenino were in the Maldives on an official scientific mission to monitor marine environments and study the effects of climate change on tropical biodiversity, the University of Genoa said. However, the scuba diving activity during which the deadly accident occurred was not part of the planned research and was “undertaken privately”, the university said.
The statement also said the two other victims – student Ms Sommacal and recent graduate Mr Gualtieri – were not involved in the scientific mission. Cave diving is a highly technical and dangerous activity that requires specialised training, equipment and strict safety protocols.
Risks increase sharply in environments where divers cannot head straight up and at depth, particularly when conditions are poor. Experts say it is easy to become disoriented or lost inside caves, particularly as sediment clouds can sharply reduce visibility.
Military member Mohamed Mahudhee died of underwater decompression sickness(Image: X/@MNDF_Official)
Diving at 50 metres also exceeds the maximum depth recommended for recreational divers by most major established scuba certifying agencies, with depths beyond 40 metres considered technical diving and requiring specialised training and equipment. Mr Shareef said Mr Benedetti’s body was found near the mouth of the cave and authorities believed the remaining four had entered the cave.
Two Italians, a deep-sea rescue expert and a cave diving expert, are expected to join the recovery effort, Mr Shareef said. Italian officials said that around 20 other Italians on the same expedition aboard the vessel Duke of York were safe.
Italy’s embassy in Colombo was providing assistance to those onboard and had contacted the Red Crescent, which offered to deploy volunteers to help provide psychological aid. The Maldives tourism ministry said it has suspended the operating licence of the Duke of York pending an investigation.
The Italian foreign ministry said the cave is divided into three large chambers connected by narrow passages. Recovery teams explored two of the three chambers on Friday, but the search was limited due to considerations over oxygen and decompression.
On Saturday, they would explore the third chamber, the ministry added. Italian officials and the honorary consul are in contact with the victims’ families to provide assistance.
