The five Italian divers who drowned in the Maldives last Thursday may have taken a wrong turn and panicked when in an underwater cave with no clear way out, according to the elite squad sent in to retrieve their bodies.
The bodies of Monica Montefalcone, 52, her daughter Giorgia Sommacal, 20, Muriel Oddenino, 31, and Federico Gualtieri, 31, were found on Monday near the mouth of the third and final chamber of the caves in the Vaavu Atoll, at a depth of around 165 feet.
The body of their diving instructor, Gianluca Benedetti, 44, was found near the entrance to the same chamber.
Giorgia Sommacal, 20, died in last Thursday’s diving disaster in the Maldives.
Giorgia Sommacal / Instagram
The cave system includes a first chamber connected to a second by a corridor about 100 feet long and 10 feet wide, reported Italian newspaper La Repubblica.
Once in the second chamber, the entrance to the corridor is hidden by a sandbank, and just above that is the entrance to the third chamber, which is a dead end.
The group of Italians appears to have entered the third chamber by mistake and panicked when they realized there was no way out before running out of oxygen, according to the group of Finnish divers brought in by the research organization DAN Europe, to find them.
“There was no way out,” Laura Marroni, CEO of DAN Europe, told La Repubblica.
If the group took a wrong turn, “it would have been very complex to return, especially with the little supply of air,” Marroni added.
Muriel Oddenino, 31, was an experienced diver.
Muriel Oddenino / Facebook
The group was using standard, 12-liter oxygen cylinders, not suited to depths of below 100 feet, and would have had little time to turn around.
“We’re talking about 10 minutes, maybe even less,” said Marroni.
“Realizing that the road is not right, and having little air maybe after backing down, it terrifies [you],” she added.
Monica Montefalcone, 51, Giorgia’s mother, also died.
ZUMAPRESS.com
“Then you breathe quickly and the air goes down.”
All five Italians were experienced divers, and the exact reasons they went on such a deep dive without appropriate equipment remains under investigation.
The elite Finnish divers recovered technical equipment, including GoPro cameras worn by some of the group, which it is hoped will give them a better understanding of the worst diving tragedy in the history of the Maldives.
Federico Gualtieri, 31, died in last Thursday’s tragedy.
ZUMAPRESS.com
The last two bodies were recovered on Wednesday, bringing the mission to an end.
A sixth victim, military diver Sgt. Major Mohamed Mahudhee, died from underwater compression sickness on Saturday when he tried to find the bodies.
Despite being “one of the best” divers in the Maldivian National Defense Force, he was not trained for the fatal mission, according to his military mentor, Shafraz Naeem.
News
INSIDE KILLER CAVE: Recovery Diver Breaks Silence on the “Breathing” Underwater Nightmare — And Rejects Leading Theory
A HERO diver who recovered four tragic Italians in the Maldives has revealed chilling details on the “breathing” cave they were found in. Sami Paakkarinen, one of three Finnish rescue divers who helped retrieve the bodies, also rejected a leading theory on the mystery-shrouded disaster. Sami Paakkarinen gearing up during the rescue operationCredit: EPA Giorgia […]
Following Kyle Busch’s Tragic Death, His Family Shares Heartbreaking Statement — And the One Last Promise Left Unfulfilled…
Just days before Kyle Busch’s tragic death, he and his family celebrated his young son’s birthday. Busch died Thursday, NASCAR confirmed, just hours after the race car driver’s family said he was hospitalized due to a “severe illness.” He was 41. Just three days before his passing, Busch took to Instagram to fete his son, […]
THE WORLD DIDN’T REALIZE THIS VIDEO WAS HIS FINAL GOODBYE…
Eerie video captures final image of military diver killed in Maldives scuba dive recovery mission An eerie video captures the final hours of the Maldivian Coast Guard diver who died Saturday during a dangerous mission to recover the bodies of the Italian tourists trapped in a deep underwater cave. Sgt. Major Mohamed Mahudhee was filmed […]
THE OXYGEN MASKS TOLD A DIFFERENT STORY — AND INVESTIGATORS WERE STUNNED
In a shocking twist that has turned tragedy into a full-scale criminal investigation, early forensic findings from the autopsies of the five Italian divers recovered from an underwater cave near Alimathaa Island have reportedly ruled out the original “strong current” theory — and uncovered deeply disturbing evidence that is now pointing toward foul play. According […]
NEW AUTOPSY RESULTS IN LOS ANGELES SCHOOL CASE SPARK OUTRAGE
🇺🇸 🔴 LOS ANGELES CASE TAKES SHOCKING TURN AFTER AUTOPSY RESULTS ARE RELEASED A major new development has shaken the case of 12-year-old Khimberly Zavaleta Chuquipa, the young girl who passed away days after a reported incident at Reseda High School involving a metal water bottle. The newly revealed autopsy findings have sparked outrage and […]
Officials Reveal What Really Killed Woman Who Plunged Into Steam-Filled Manhole — And the Findings Are Absolutely Devastating
CAUSE OF DEATH REVEALED FOR WOMAN WHO FELL INTO MANHOLE FILLED WITH BOILING HOT WATER The death of 56-year-old Donike Gocaj has officially been ruled an accident after she plunged into an uncovered manhole in Midtown Manhattan earlier this week. According to the New York City Medical Examiner’s Office, Gocaj died from a combination of […]
End of content
No more pages to load
