One of the five divers who drowned in an underwater cave in the Maldives, published multiple studies on dives at depths of 260 feet – deepening the mystery on her funeral day about why she and her daughter decided to go down without proper equipment.
Monica Montefalcone, 51, and daughter Giorgia Sommacal were two of the five Italian divers who vanished during a dive inside a Maldives cave 164 feet underwater May 14.
Their funerals were held in Genoa, Italy, in front of a crowd of some 2,000 people Saturday at San Francesco di Pegli church in Genoa, packed with Montefalcone and Sommacal’s family, friends, university students and professors.
The funeral for the mother and daughter was held Saturday in Genoa.Daniele Solavaggione/LaPresse/Shutterstock
“I feel a great emptying, a deep disbelief,” priest Don Corrado told the church. In our neighborhood Monica and Giorgia were well known and loved.”
“I don’t know if I will have the strength to caress and kiss those coffins for the last goodbye,” Carlo Sommacal the paper before entering. “I want to remember them with their radiant, sunny smile, full of life.”
The bodies, laid out in two light-colored wooden coffins covered with a sea of white roses, were brought to the church, where a photograph of the mother and daughter in front of the sapphire sea they loved so much was displayed.
Since 2003, Montefalcone had published at least four scientific papers in international journals involving the collection of sediment from the bottom of the ocean floor and other marine samples in the Maldives, at depths between 210 and 270 feet, Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera uncovered this week.
Montefalcone published at least four studies since 2003 involving underwater research even deeper than the cave.ZUMAPRESS.com
That’s even deeper than the Vaavu Atoll cave where the group lost their lives, which reaches maximum depths of 200 feet.
It comes as the Maldives government now says three of the five divers – Montefalcone and University of Genoa researchers Muriel Oddenino and Federico Gualtieri – did in fact have permits to go down to 160 feet to sample coral.
Sommalcal’s name was not on the diving research permit submitting to the Maldives government.Giorgia Sommacal / Instagram
The revelation comes as the blame game between Maldives authorities, the University of Genoa and boat operator Albatros intensifies, against the backdrop of a culpable homicide investigation by Roman prosecutors.
The names of the other two divers however, Sommacal and dive instructor Gianluca Benedetti, were not on the marine research permit the scientists had submitting to the island nation back in February.
“They had submitted a specific research proposal – focusing on soft corals and the composition of the Maldivian reef systems – to the Department of Marine Research, which gave the green light,” Hussain Shareef, spokesman for Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu told the paper.
As many as 2,000 people showed up to San Francesco di Pegli church in Genoa for the funeral.Daniele Solavaggione/LaPresse/Shutterstock
The bodies were carried in two light-colored coffins covered in a sea of white roses.Danilo Vigo/LiveMedia/Shutterstock
In the cave’s third chambers, where four of the five divers were found, there is no sunlight and little visibility.ZUMAPRESS.com
Complete your morning routine.
Get the Post’s top stories straight to your inbox.
By clicking “SIGN UP” above you agree to the Terms of Use & Privacy Notice
“The main problem is that it was a cave dive and their research proposal made no mention of it.”
Corals need sunlight and wouldn’t be found deep in underwater caves, though it might survive near the entrance.
What do you think? Post a comment.
Montefalcone was well-known to the Maldives government — since 2006, she had published at least 34 underwater studies on the country and applied for research permits through the University of Genoa’s Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences.
“My wife certainly didn’t go there to sunbathe on the beach,” husband Carlo Sommacal told the newspaper, vindicated. “She possessed exceptional expertise.”
News
As families and colleagues bid farewell to the University of Genoa researchers at their final resting place, a strange detail emerges.
One of the five divers who drowned in an underwater cave in the Maldives, published multiple studies on dives at depths of 260 feet – deepening the mystery on her funeral day about why she and her daughter decided to go down without proper equipment. Monica Montefalcone, 51, and daughter Giorgia Sommacal were two of the […]
The official announcement of Matt Brown’s passing was made just minutes ago. However, what has drawn public attention is the concluding sentence highlighted in red
The Unending Heartbreak of the Wilderness For the Brown family, tragedy has never been a distant concept; it has long been an unwanted companion. As the stars of Discovery Channel’s long-running docuseries Alaskan Bush People, they captivated millions by trading modern conveniences for the raw, unforgiving embrace of the wilderness. Yet, the very environment that gave […]
Having witnessed the moment Matt Brown was recovered, Noah revealed the eight most heartbreaking words. But it was the item in the victim’s bag that was truly haunting
“I was there when we pulled him out of the river.” Noah Brown just revealed the 9 most heartbreaking words after Matt Brown’s death. But what haunts many is what was still in his pocket when his body was found The Alaskan wilderness has always been a ruthless backdrop for the Brown family, but the […]
Noah Brown tearfully revealed the eight most heartbreaking words after Matt Brown’s death. What haunted many even more was what was found in his jacket pocket when his body was discovered
“I was there when we pulled him out of the river.” Noah Brown just revealed the 9 most heartbreaking words after Matt Brown’s death. But what haunts many is what was still in his pocket when his body was found The Alaskan wilderness has always been a ruthless backdrop for the Brown family, but the […]
Part 2: Mocked for quietly planting 340 trees on barren land, the woman persevered through the gossip and finally reaped the rewards after four years with a prestigious environmental award
Part 1 Legacy wasn’t inherited. It was planted. Clare Moss came home to Callaway County in the spring of 2014 with two duffel bags, an agroforestry degree, and a plan no one at the feed store could pronounce without smirking. The Moss farm sat twelve miles outside Fulton, down a county road that ran between […]
Matt Brown Case: Mysterious Black Sack Found by the Water’s Edge Raises Numerous Questions
For three agonizing days, the Brown family from Alaskan Bush People endured what can only be described as a nightmare of uncertainty following reports of a man disappearing in the Okanogan River. Before any confirmation or recovery, search teams reportedly zeroed in on a creepy black sack discovered near the water’s edge, sparking intense speculation and adding […]
End of content
No more pages to load
