Italian President Sergio Mattarella has honoured the three Finnish cave divers who recovered the bodies of four Italian divers who died together trapped in a Maldives cave.
Sami Paaskarinen, Jenni Westerlund and Patrik Grönqvist were awarded the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in recognition of their work during the complex recovery operation between 17 and 21 May.
The honour was conferred motu proprio, meaning it was done under the president’s own initiative.
The tragedy began to unfold on 14 May 2026, when five Italian divers on board the liveaboard Duke of York failed to return from a dive at Vaavu atoll.
The body of Italian dive guide and instructor Gianluca Benedetti was located at a depth of around 50m inside a cave in the reef.
University of Genoa Professor Monica Montefalcone, her daughter Giorgia Sommacal, and researchers Muriel Oddenino and Federico Gualtieri were located inside a dead-end tunnel leading from a deeper second chamber on 18 May, and recovered over the following two days.
A Maldivian military diver, Staff Sergeant Mohamed Mahdhee, reportedly died from decompression sickness while participating in the initial recovery efforts.
The three Finnish specialists were deployed by Divers Alert Network (DAN) Europe after operations were suspended following Sergeant Mahudhee’s death.
The operation to recover the divers was described as extremely challenging due to the depth, narrow passages and poor visibility. The divers have since been returned to Italy, and their equipment seized by authorities who have mounted a culpable homicide investigation.
The Quirinale, the official residence of the Italian President, announced the award on 30 May, stating: ‘The President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, has conferred, motu proprio, the honour of Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic to Mr Sami Paaskarinen, Ms Jenni Westerlund and Mr Patrik Grönqvist, in recognition of the professionalism and humanity shown during the complex operations to recover the bodies of the five Italian citizens who lost their lives in the Maldives.”
Speaking to Finnish public broadcaster Yle, Grönqvist said receiving the honour felt unusual given the nature of the work.
‘It feels strange to receive such a prestigious recognition for what was, for us, a normal operation,’ he said. ‘But of course it is nice to receive recognition, especially from the Italian state and the families.’
‘We did what we could in a very difficult situation,’ added Jenni Westerlund during the interview. ‘The conditions in the cave were extremely challenging.’
The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic is Italy’s highest civilian order of merit and is awarded for distinguished service to the nation in fields including public service, science, culture and humanitarian work.
More from the Maldives tragedy
- Italian authorities seize Maldives divers’ gear as tragic story unfolds
- Culpable homicide investigation launched as final two Maldives divers recovered
- Bodies of two Italian divers recovered in Maldives tragedy
- Bodies of missing Italian divers located in Maldives cave
- Maldives rescue diver dies during recovery operation for missing Italian divers
