University professor and daughter among 5 killed diving in Maldives

Five Italian tourists have died while exploring underwater caves 160ft below the surface in the Maldives.

The group had set off on a diving expedition on Thursday morning to explore the Vaavu atoll, according to local media.

Authorities received reports of the divers’ disappearance at around 1.45pm local time after they failed to resurface at around midday.

During the search and rescue operation, their bodies were discovered.

According to initial reports, the five tourists had boarded the ‘luxury’ Duke of York yacht, a foreign-operated live-aboard diving vessel, and they disappeared near Alimatha, one of the atoll’s most popular diving spots.

University professor and daughter among 5 killed diving in Maldives

A Loss to Science

One of the victims has been named by Italian newspaper Il Messaggero as 51-year-old Monica Montefalcone, a respected marine biologist, TV personality, and professor of Tropical Marine Ecology and Underwater Science at the University of Genoa.

Her 20-year-old daughter, Giorgia Sommacal, also died.

The other three victims have been named as Muriel Oddenino of Turin, Gianluca Benedetti of Padua, and Federico Gualtieri of Borgomanero.

Montefalcone and Oddenino were colleagues at the University of Genoa.

Montefalcone worked at Distav, the Department of Earth Sciences. In the Maldives, she was the scientific director of the island monitoring campaign, according to Italian reports.

Benedetti was an operations manager, as well as a diving instructor and boat captain.

University professor and daughter among 5 killed diving in Maldives

Search and Recovery

Police have launched an investigation into the tragedy, but the cause of death remains unknown at this time, and no official statement has yet been released.

Local officials said it was the worst single diving accident in the nation of 1,192 tiny coral islands scattered some 500 miles across the equator in the Indian Ocean.

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Aircraft and speedboats were deployed for a major search after the group of five was reported missing on Thursday afternoon, the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) said in a statement.

‘One body has been found among five divers who went diving in Vaavu Atoll,’ the statement said.

‘The body was found inside a cave. It is believed that the remaining four divers are also inside the same cave, which extends to a depth of about 60 metres (65 yards).’

Weather conditions at the dive site today were unfavourable, with winds blowing between 25 and 30 miles per hour.

University professor and daughter among 5 killed diving in Maldives

Official Recognition

The meteorological service issued a yellow alert for the area this morning, which remains in place.

Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed the incident.

‘Following an accident during a scuba dive, five Italians died in the Vaavu atoll, in the Maldives,’ a statement read.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Italian Embassy in Colombo, Sri Lanka, have said they have been ‘contacting the victims’ families to provide any necessary consular assistance’.

According to local media, some diving experts believe the sudden deaths of multiple divers in this manner may have been caused by oxygen toxicity.

Oxygen toxicity is caused by breathing oxygen at high pressure for a prolonged period, which can cause tissue damage and compromise the central nervous system.

The yacht company, as stated on its official website, provides nitrox – a breathing mixture for scuba diving composed of nitrogen and oxygen.

University professor and daughter among 5 killed diving in Maldives

A Floating Resort

The ship, built in 2010, is designed to transport passengers to select destinations in the Maldives, specifically chosen for tourists who enjoy scuba diving.

The Duke of York has 11 spacious luxury cabins on three decks, accommodating a total of 21 guests, each paying just over €2,000 for a week-long cruise.

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On the lower deck, there are six double, twin or triple cabins.

There is a double cabin on the main deck, while three additional double cabins with sea views are located on the upper deck.

Each cabin has independent air conditioning and a private bathroom.

The common areas include a spacious air-conditioned interior lounge with comfortable seating, a TV, a full entertainment system, and a bar.

The vessel also has a restaurant on the main deck, serving local and Italian cuisine.

Three decks offer panoramic views with comfortable seating, including sun loungers and deck chairs. The crew consists of 13 members.

Divers’ death in Maldives: Italian man says wife survived 2004 tsunami; Cave dive tragedy under investigation

Incident occurred while attempting to explore caves, search for bodies in cave suspended late Friday due to bad weather

Italian Carlo Sommacal, who lost his wife and daughter in the Maldives cave diving tragedy, says his wife survived the 2004 Tsunami while diving off Kenya. Carlo’s wife, Monica Montefalcone, and her daughter Giorgia Sommacal are among the five victims.

Carlo Sommacal said he believed something unexpected must have occurred and ruled out recklessness on her part.

“Something must have happened,” he told Italian TV channel Rete 4. He said his wife was a disciplined diver who carefully weighed risks before each descent. He recalled her telling him at times, “This one I can do, you can’t.”

Search temporarily abandoned

Speaking a day after the body of a fifth member of the dive group was recovered on Thursday, Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said that despite the poor weather conditions, everything possible would be done to bring the victims home.
 
The cause of the deaths remained under investigation. The recovery operation is expected to resume on Saturday.

“Unfortunately, the searches are suspended due to bad weather, but we will do everything possible to recover the bodies of our compatriots,” Tajani told a political event in Italy.

Tourists relax at a beach in Hulhumale, an island in Maldives, on May 15, 2026. Rescue teams in the Indian Ocean archipelago of the Maldives searched for a second day on May 15 for the bodies of four missing Italians following the country's deadliest diving accident, officials said. (AFP)

Attempt to explore caves

 
Italy’s Foreign Ministry said the dive group had “apparently died while attempting to explore caves at a depth of 50 meters (164 feet)” in the Vaavu Atoll on Thursday.
The victims were identified as Monica Montefalcone, an associate professor of ecology at the University of Genoa; her daughter, Giorgia Sommacal; marine biologist Federico Gualtieri; researcher Muriel Oddenino; and diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti, according to the Maldivian government.
Benedetti’s body was recovered on Thursday.

A technical and dangerous activity

Cave diving is a highly technical and dangerous activity that requires specialized training, equipment, and strict safety protocols. Risks increase sharply in overhead environments and at depth, particularly when conditions deteriorate. Experts say it’s easy to become disoriented or lost inside caves, particularly as sediment clouds can sharply reduce visibility.
 
Diving at 50 meters also exceeds the maximum depth recommended for recreational divers by most major established scuba certifying agencies; depths beyond 40 meters are considered technical diving, which requires specialized training and equipment. The recreational diving limit in the Maldives is 30 meters.

Monica, a 2004 tsunami survivor

Sommacal said his wife survived the 2004 tsunami while diving off Kenya, resurfacing with other experienced divers despite the danger, and later returned to diving after a lengthy recovery from serious health complications. “She had two lives – one on land and one in her environment, the water,” he said.
Maldivian presidential spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef said eight divers took part in Friday’s search and, working in pairs, explored the depths and drew up a map to continue the mission on Saturday.
He said 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, Shareef said.
Italian officials said around 20 other Italians who were on the same expedition aboard a vessel named the “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 vessel was searching for a safe harbor from poor weather conditions, and was waiting for conditions to improve before returning to Male, the Italian ministry said.

Passion for marine protection

Greenpeace Italia, the environmental organization, paid tribute to Montefalcone as a passionate advocate for marine protection, saying it would miss “her professionalism and her advice immensely” and “that special light she had in her eyes when she spoke about the wonders of the sea and the importance of protecting them.”
The National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology offered condolences for all the victims. It said Montefalcone had been widely recognized for her work studying and protecting the marine environment.
 
The Italian ministry said it was coordinating with Divers Alert Network, a specialist diving organization, to support recovery operations and the repatriation of the bodies.
It said the cave entered by the five divers is divided into three large chambers connected by narrow passages. Recovery teams explored two of the three chambers, but the search was limited due to considerations over oxygen and decompression.
On Saturday, they will explore the third chamber, the ministry added.
Italian officials and the honorary consul are in contact with the victims’ families to provide assistance.