Five tourists have died in a scuba diving accident within the Maldives.
The group, from Italy, had been exploring underwater caves within the Vaavu Atoll at a depth of around 50 metres on Thursday.
4 of the divers were a part of a team from the University of Genoa, including respected marine biologist Monica Montefalcone, 51, her daughter and two researchers.
It’s believed to be the worst single diving accident the South Asian nation – popular with sightseers due to its vibrant coral reef system – has seen.
Italy’s foreign ministry didn’t give any details in regards to the exact reason behind the accident.
The five divers – named as Ms Montefalcone, her daughter Giorgia Sommacal, 20, research fellow Muriel Oddenino, marine biology graduate Federico Gualtieri, and boat operations manager and diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti – entered the water on Thursday morning, local reports said.
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The crew of the ‘luxury’ Duke of York yacht they’d been travelling on reported them missing after they didn’t resurface near Alimatha, a well-liked diving spot.
A significant search was launched, including aircraft and speedboats, the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) said in an announcement.
‘One body has been found amongst five divers who went diving in Vaavu Atoll,’ the agency added.
‘The body was found inside a cave. It’s believed that the remaining 4 divers are also contained in the same cave, which extends to a depth of about 60 metres.’
Authorities haven’t disclosed the identity of the diver whose body was recovered.
Rescue teams will resume their seek for the remaining bodies today.
Police have launched an investigation into the tragedy, with several hypotheses to look at.
They said weather was rough in the realm.
Winds were blowing at as much as 30mph and a yellow warning had been issued for passenger boats and fishermen.
The very fact not one of the 4 divers resurfaced suggested they could have turn into lost in an underwater cave, Italian newspaper La Repubblica reports.
One other possibility suggested was that considered one of the 4 got stuck and the others ran out of air while attempting to free them.
The Maldives is considered one of the world’s hottest diving destinations, with the Vaavu Atoll famous for night diving and channel diving.
Local regulations permit diving to a maximum depth of 30 metres, but experienced professionals are known to go deeper.
Diving and snorkelling accidents are relatively rare within the tiny Indian Ocean nation, although several fatalities have been reported in recent times.
Last December, an experienced British female tourist drowned in a scuba incident off the island resort of Ellaidhoo. Her 71-year-old husband died days later after falling sick.
A 26-year-old Japanese tourist went missing after a diving expedition near the capital Malé in June.
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