Recovery Operation in Maldives: Bodies of Missing Italian Divers Found

Mon Jun 01 2026 17:56:23 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Authorities recover two bodies of Italian divers who drowned in an underwater cave in the Maldives, while search teams continue to locate two others.

Two bodies of Italian divers who perished in a scuba diving accident in the Maldives have been recovered by Finnish specialists. The divers were part of a group conducting research in a cave, which has been deemed complex for recovery operations due to its depth. The remaining two bodies are yet to be located.

The bodies of two Italians who drowned in a scuba diving accident in the Maldives last week have been brought to the surface, local officials have confirmed.

They were retrieved from the third chamber of the underwater cave by the specialist divers from Finland after a two-hour operation, said Mohamed Hossain Shareef, a spokesperson for the Maldivian government.

The two bodies are being transported to the capital, Male, for identification. They were among five victims of the tragic accident, with two other bodies still unaccounted for.

The first victim has been identified by Italian media as Gianluca Benedetti, a boat operations manager and diving instructor, whose body was found shortly following the accident on Thursday.

Furthermore, a Maldivian rescue diver tragically lost his life during the search effort on Saturday. The remaining missing divers were located on Monday within the cave, known locally as shark cave, which reaches depths of up to 60 meters.

The recovery mission for the last two bodies is expected to continue on Wednesday, with local officials optimistic about their retrieval on the same day. It is anticipated that uncovering these bodies may shed light on the cause of the tragic incident.

Officials have illustrated the complexity of the recovery operations, marked by limited visibility and depth challenges. As the Finnish divers worked alongside local police and coastguards, they managed to bring the two bodies to a depth of 30 meters before local divers took over the operation.

The weather conditions at the time of the dive last Thursday were reported to be rough, prompting a yellow warning for boats in the area. The divers were associated with the University of Genoa, which has stated that it did not approve of any deep-sea dives as part of their authorized research efforts.

Led by Professor Monica Montefalcone, the team was investigating climate change impacts on tropical ecosystems. Critics, including Montefalcone's husband, have questioned the university's claims of unauthorized diving, pointing out her extensive expertise in the field.