A diver on the search team attempting to get better the bodies of 4 tourists killed in a fatal trip exploring underwater caves within the Maldives has also died.
Mohammed Mahdi, a sergeant major within the Maldivian military, was said to have fallen ailing on the third day of the recovery mission within the Vaavu Atoll on Saturday.
Local reports attribute the tragic death to decompression sickness.
Paying tribute to the serviceman on X, the Maldivian military said: ‘His courage, sacrifice, and repair to the nation will all the time be remembered. Our deepest condolences to his family and colleagues.’
The group of Italian scuba divers had been exploring underwater caves and didn’t resurface 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 Giorgia Sommacal, 20, research fellow Muriel Oddenino, marine biology graduate Federico Gualtieri, and boat operations manager and diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti.
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In a press release posted on its website, the university said: ‘The sympathy of all the university community goes out to the families, colleagues and students who shared their human and skilled journey.’
A recovery mission led by specialist divers has been ongoing to try to get better the missing bodies, which were believed to be stuck in one among the caves.
Ms Montefalcone and Ms Oddenino were within the Maldives on an official scientific mission to observe marine environments and study the consequences of climate change on tropical biodiversity, the University of Genoa said.
However the university added that the scuba diving activity during which the deadly accident occurred was not a part of the planned research and was ‘undertaken privately’.
Ms Montefalcone’s husband, Carlo Sommacal, told Italian newspaper La Repubblica he hoped her GoPro might find a way to assist investigators understand how the tragedy happened.
He said his wife was an ‘expert’ diver who had undertaken 5,000 trips and ‘knows what to do even in times of difficulty’.
The identical was true for Mr Benedetti, who he called ‘meticulous’ in his safety planning.
He said his wife ‘normally had a GoPro when she went diving’, adding: ‘I don’t know if she had one the opposite day. In the event that they find it, possibly from there we will understand what happened.’
Italian officials said around 20 other Italians who were on the identical expedition aboard a vessel named the ‘Duke of York’ were protected.
Italy’s embassy in Colombo was providing assistance to those onboard and had contacted the Red Crescent, which offered to deploy volunteers to assist provide psychological aid.
The Maldives tourism ministry said it has suspended the operating license of the ‘Duke of York’ pending an investigation.
The Italian foreign ministry said the cave is split into three large chambers connected by narrow passages.
Recovery teams explored two of the three chambers on Friday, however the search was limited as a result of considerations over oxygen and decompression.
On Saturday, they are going to explore the third chamber, the ministry added.
Italian officials and the honorary consul are involved with the victims’ families to offer assistance.
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