Military divers died while searching for the bodies of missing Italian tourists in a 50-meter-deep underwater cave. Veteran rescue expert John Volanthen analyzes the complex situation at the bottom of the ocean that led to the tragic accident.

A military diver has died in the Maldives during a mission to recover the bodies of four Italian nationals believed to be in a maze-like underwater cave, local officials have said. British cave rescue expert John Volanthen tells CNN’s Kristie Lu Stout that the Maldives recovery mission is extremely challenging due to depth, confined cave structures, and poor visibility. He noted that deeper dives increase danger, including nitrogen narcosis, which can impair judgment and trigger panic. Combined with silt and complex passages, these factors make navigation difficult. Volanthen emphasized that most incidents stem from a series of small decisions, underscoring the critical importance of careful planning and staying within experience limits.