A Maldivian rescue diver has died during the search for four Italian scuba divers whose bodies are believed to be trapped inside an underwater cave system in Vaavu Atoll, Maldives.
Staff Sergeant Mohamed Mahudhee, a member of the Maldives National Defence Force Coast Guard diving unit, was part of a team of eight rescue divers deployed during the recovery operation on Saturday.
According to Maldivian government spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef, the team surfaced following the dive and realised Mahudhee was no longer with them.
Shareef said the other divers immediately returned underwater, where they found Mahudhee unconscious.
The recovery operation has been underway since Thursday, when five Italian divers disappeared while exploring caves near Alimathaa Island in Vaavu Atoll, around 100km (62 miles) south of the capital Malé.
Italian authorities said the group had been attempting to explore underwater caves at a depth of around 50 metres (164ft).
One body – believed to be that of dive instructor and boat operations manager Gianluca Benedetti – was recovered from inside the cave system at a depth of around 60m on Friday.
‘A body has been found among the five divers who dived in Vaavu Atoll,’ the MNDF said in a statement to Italian news agency ANSA.
‘The body was found inside a cave. The other four divers are believed to be inside the same cave, which extends to a depth of approximately 60m.’
The four divers still missing are University of Genoa professor Monica Montefalcone and her daughter Giorgia Sommacal, marine biology graduate Federico Gualtieri, and research fellow Muriel Oddenino.
The Maldives National Defence Force has repeatedly described the recovery operation as ‘high risk’ due to the depth and ‘complex’ nature of the tunnels.
Inclement weather and rough sea conditions have continued over the weekend, further hampering attempts to reach the missing divers.
Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu travelled to Vaavu Atoll on Saturday to meet rescue personnel, while Italian foreign minister Antonio Tajani paid tribute to Mahudhee following news of his death.
‘These days of grief for Italy are compounded by the news that one of your brave soldiers died while attempting to dive to reach the bodies of our fellow Italians,’ Tajani said.
‘This tragedy unites Italy and the Maldives in grief and respect for the victims.’
Italian and Maldivian authorities are continuing investigations into the circumstances surrounding the original diving accident.
The dive vessel involved, the liveaboard Duke of York, has reportedly had its operating licence suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.
Update 18 May: the bodies of the missing divers have been located
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