Get you up to speed: Bodycams found on divers killed in Maldives could reveal final moments | News World
Five Italian scuba divers died during a dive into the 160 ft deep ‘shark cave’ in the Devana Kandu cave system in the Maldives last week. The deceased included ecology professor Monica Montefalcone, her daughter Giorgia Sommacal, researcher Muriel Oddenino, marine biologist Federico Gualtieri, and diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti, with the Maldivian military rescue diver Mohamed Mahudhee also confirmed dead from decompression illness during a recovery mission.
Authorities have launched an investigation following the deaths of six individuals during a cave dive in the Maldives. The Italian tour operator that organised the trip has denied authorising the dive beyond the permitted depth of 100 ft, complicating ongoing inquiries.
The Italian tour operator involved in the diving trip has denied any prior knowledge or authorisation of the group’s deep dive, asserting through its lawyer that they did not exceed local limits. An investigation has been launched to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident and what regulatory measures may be implemented to prevent future occurrences.
What remains unclear — The investigation has not yet revealed the specific cause of death for the divers.
Bodycams recovered from divers killed in Maldives may shed light on tragedy
Monica Montefalcone one of the five Italian scuba divers who died (Picture: Greenpeace via AP)
Bodycams have been found with the divers killed in a Maldives cave which could finally reveal what happened in their final moments.
Five Italians on a research trip were killed during a dive into the 160 ft deep ‘shark cave’ in the Devana Kandu cave system last week.
The bodies of ecology professor Monica Montefalcone, her daughter Giorgia Sommacal, researcher Muriel Oddenino, and marine biologist Federico Gualtieri have now all been retrieved.
They were accompanied by diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti, whose body was found last week.
In total six people have been killed as part of the cave dive, with Maldivian military rescue diver Mohamed Mahudhee dying from decompression illness on Saturday during a recovery mission.
Sign up for all of the latest stories
In total six people have died during the dive, including ecology professor Monica Montefalcone (left) and her daughter Giorgia Sommacal (right)
Federico Gualtieri, a marine biologist, died during the cave dive on Thursday.
Three expert divers who recovered four of the bodies handed over GoPro cameras which were found with the group.
The footage has not yet been made public.
But it is hoped they could piece together the group’s final moments as investigators scramble to figure out what happened to the group who went deep below the recommended depth.
They were on a research trip about soft corals on Thursday morning when the group is believed to have died around 160 ft deep.
They had launched the expedition from the Duke of York yacht, which did not have a permit allowing dives of more than 100 ft.
Researcher Muriel Oddenino had been on an official scientific mission with Ms Montefalcone prior to the dive (Picture: Facebook)
Gianluca Benedetti’s body was the first to be recovered last week
Monica’s husband and dad of Giorgia Carlo Sommacal told Italian media his wife ‘was one of the best divers in the world’ and would never put his daughter at risk.
He said she had carried out about 5,000 dives and was ‘never reckless’.
The Italian tour operator that managed the diving trip has denied authorising or knowing about the group’s deep dive, which exceeded local limits, its lawyer told Italian local publication Corriere della Sera.
An investigation is underway to establish the cause of death.
Comment now
Comments
Add WTX as a Preferred Source on Google
Great article! This really puts things into perspective. I appreciate the thorough research and balanced viewpoint.
Interesting read, though I think there are some points that could have been explored further. Would love to see a follow-up on this topic.
Thanks for sharing this! I had no idea about some of these details. Definitely bookmarking this for future reference.
Well written and informative. The examples provided really help illustrate the main points effectively.
This is exactly what I was looking for! Clear, concise, and very helpful. Keep up the excellent work!