Panoramic scene of Vaavu Atoll, adjacent to Keyodhoo, Maldives.Sergey Chips/Adobe Stock
Five citizens of Italy, encompassing a mother and her daughter, passed away during a scuba excursion in a submerged grotto in the Maldives, as stated by Italian and Maldivian authorities, while a perilous retrieval operation endeavors to find the remaining lost divers.
The divers were reported missing on Thursday as they investigated a cavern in Vaavu Atoll, according to the Maldives National Defense Force.
The remains of one of the divers has since been located within a cavern at approximately 200 feet below the surface, officials reported. The other four divers are presumed to be within the 200-foot-long cavern, as per the Maldives National Defense Force.
Panoramic scene of Vaavu Atoll, adjacent to Keyodhoo, Maldives.Sergey Chips/Adobe Stock
More divers along with specialized gear were dispatched to the location on Friday for the “exceptionally dangerous, high-risk mission,” they indicated. The search was put on hold Friday because of inclement weather, and the recovery work is anticipated to recommence on Saturday, The Associated Press conveyed.
Maldivian presidential representative Mohamed Hussain Shareef conveyed his “profoundest sympathies” to the nation of Italy subsequent to the “devastating diving occurrence” in an announcement on Friday. He affirmed that the hunt for the four remaining divers “is still our utmost concern.”
Italy’s Foreign Ministry revealed that the five Italian citizens perished in a scuba diving mishap. It was reported that they died “while undertaking to explore caves at a depth of 50 meters,” it stated.
“The Maldivian authorities are still working to piece together the incident,” the ministry communicated.
Aerial image of Fulidhoo island located in the Vaavu atoll within the Maldives.Adobe Stock
The Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology along with the University of Genoa (UniGe) pinpointed the deceased divers as Monica Montefalcone, a maritime scientist and associate professor at UniGe; her daughter, Giorgia Sommacal, a biomedical engineering student at UniGe; Muriel Oddenino, a UniGe research associate; and marine biologist Federico Gualtieril, a recent UniGe graduate in marine biology and ecology.
The institute also recognized one of the victims as diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti.
Montefalcone had been presented with various accolades for her efforts in examining and preserving the marine ecosystem, the institute noted.
Monica Montefalcone among the five Italian scuba enthusiasts who lost their lives in proximity to Alimathaa within the Maldives archipelago while exploring a submarine cavern.Greenpeace via AP
The Italian ambassador from the embassy situated in Colombo journeyed to the Maldives on Friday to confer with Maldives National Defence Force Coast Guard representatives, the ministry conveyed.
The Italian Embassy in Colombo maintains contact with the families of the deceased and is rendering aid to 20 additional Italian citizens aboard the Duke of Yoke who participated in the undertaking, the ministry detailed.
“The boat is awaiting an improvement in the atmospheric conditions in order to return to Malé,” the ministry communicated Friday.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com