A drama within a drama. The rescuer of the Maldives National Defense Forces (MNDF) who was engaged with some colleagues in the search operations for the bodies of the four missing Italian divers and was hospitalized in very serious conditions, has died. The accident occurred today, Saturday 16 May, during an underwater dive carried out to explore the third of the three chambers of the cave where the bodies are presumed to be. Although the soldier was rushed to hospital after his condition worsened, doctors were unable to save his life.
So far only the body of one of the five dead Italian people has been recovered, while the other four have not even been sighted.
Who was the diver who died today
The deceased diver is Sergeant Major Mohamed Mahudhee of the local Coast Guard, explained the Maldivian army on X. Mahudhee lost his life during the recovery operations of the Italian victims in the Vaavu atoll, the post continues. ”His courage, sacrifice and service to the nation will always be remembered. Our deepest condolences to his family and colleagues”, reads the note. The soldier would have died due to a depressurization problem during the ascent phase.
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— Maldives National Defense Force (@MNDF_Official) May 16, 2026
The search for the bodies of the four Italians who died in the Maldives while they were engaged in an excursion in the waters of the island of Alimathà, over fifty meters deep, resumed today, after yesterday’s suspension due to bad weather. The local Coast Guard is taking care of the recovery operations of Monica Montefalcone, her daughter Giorgia Sommacal, Muriel Oddenino and Federico Gualtieri, all expert diving enthusiasts. The body of the fifth victim, Gianluca Benedetti, was found yesterday.
The Maldivian and Italian authorities are investigating to understand the causes of the tragedy. The Rome Prosecutor’s Office has opened an investigation to understand whether it was an accident or whether more serious negligence may be behind the deaths of the five divers.