The bodies of two Italians who drowned in a scuba diving accident in the Maldives last week have been brought to the surface, local officials have told the BBC. 'They were retrieved from the third chamber of the underwater cave by the specialist divers from Finland after a two-hour operation,' Mohamed Hossain Shareef, a Maldivian government spokesperson said.
The two bodies were being transported to the capital, Male, for identification and were part of a group of five who died in the incident, which occurred near Vaavu Atoll. The first body of an Italian diver, who was a part of the group, was recovered shortly after the accident. He has been named by Italian media as Gianluca Benedetti, a boat operations manager and diving instructor.
Following the accident, a Maldivian rescue diver also tragically lost his life during the search for the missing individuals. The four divers were eventually located in the furthest chamber of the cave, known as 'shark cave,' which reaches depths of up to 60 meters.
The mission to recover the remaining two bodies will continue, with hopes that they can be retrieved soon. The dive was complicated due to the cave’s depth and restricted visibility. The weather at the time of the dive was rough, prompting warnings for fishing and other boat activities.
Additionally, it was revealed that four of the divers were associated with the University of Genoa, which stated they did not approve any such deep-sea diving research. The university has since suspended authorizations for deep-sea dives as they reevaluate their guidelines following the incident.
The two bodies were being transported to the capital, Male, for identification and were part of a group of five who died in the incident, which occurred near Vaavu Atoll. The first body of an Italian diver, who was a part of the group, was recovered shortly after the accident. He has been named by Italian media as Gianluca Benedetti, a boat operations manager and diving instructor.
Following the accident, a Maldivian rescue diver also tragically lost his life during the search for the missing individuals. The four divers were eventually located in the furthest chamber of the cave, known as 'shark cave,' which reaches depths of up to 60 meters.
The mission to recover the remaining two bodies will continue, with hopes that they can be retrieved soon. The dive was complicated due to the cave’s depth and restricted visibility. The weather at the time of the dive was rough, prompting warnings for fishing and other boat activities.
Additionally, it was revealed that four of the divers were associated with the University of Genoa, which stated they did not approve any such deep-sea diving research. The university has since suspended authorizations for deep-sea dives as they reevaluate their guidelines following the incident.
