- Five Italian tourists, including marine biologist Monica Montefalcone and her daughter Giorgia, died during a scuba dive in the Maldives.
- The divers were reported missing after not resurfacing from a dive near an underwater cave at 160 feet deep.
- Experts are investigating potential causes, including oxygen toxicity, panic, and possible equipment failure, but no conclusions have been confirmed.
VAAVU ATOLL, MALDIVES — Months after a Minnesota tourist was killed in a shark attack in St. Croix, another vacation tragedy has happened in the water. This time, five Italian tourists died during a scuba dive in the Maldives. Experts say oxygen toxicity, panic, bad visibility, or possible tank problems may have caused the deaths, but officials have not confirmed the exact reason yet.
Deep Dive Ends in Tragedy
The five divers had boarded the Duke of York yacht before entering the water at Vaavu Atoll, one of the Maldives’ popular diving areas.
They were reportedly diving near an underwater cave at a depth of about 160 feet. The group was expected to return around noon, but they never resurfaced.
After they were reported missing, Maldivian authorities launched a search. A coast guard ship named Ghaazee was sent to help. One body was later recovered from the underwater cave. Investigators believe the other victims were in the same area.
Officials have described the incident as one of the worst diving accidents in the Maldives.
Experts Say Several Things Could Have Gone Wrong
Experts are now looking at what may have caused the tragedy.
Pulmonologist Claudio Micheletto told Italian media that something may have gone wrong with the tanks. He said oxygen toxicity, also called hyperoxia, could be one possible cause.
Most scuba divers breathe compressed air from a tank. That air is usually made of about 21% oxygen and 79% nitrogen. Some divers use nitrox, which has more oxygen than normal air. Nitrox can help divers stay underwater longer, but it can also become dangerous at deep depths if not used correctly.
Micheletto said too much oxygen can become toxic to the body. It can cause dizziness, pain, confusion, and loss of awareness. Underwater, that can make it very hard for a diver to safely return to the surface.
Another expert, Alfonso Bolognini, said panic may also have played a role. He explained that inside an underwater cave, one problem can quickly put everyone in danger. A panicked diver can stir up sand or sediment, making the water cloudy and hard to see. That can lead to mistakes that become deadly.
Still, experts said it is too early to know exactly what happened.
Victims Identified
The victims were identified as Monica Montefalcone, her daughter Giorgia Sommacal, Muriel Oddenino, Gianluca Benedetti, and Federico Gualtieri.
Montefalcone was a marine biology professor at the University of Genoa. Her daughter, Giorgia, was 20 years old.
Benedetti was a diving instructor and boat captain. Gualtieri, 31, had studied the Maldivian atolls for his thesis. Oddenino had also worked on marine conservation projects.
Several of the victims had strong ties to the sea, making the tragedy even more painful for their families, friends, and university community.
Investigation Is Still Ongoing
Officials in the Maldives are still investigating the accident. Italian authorities are also following the case.
The dive reportedly went down to about 160 feet, which is deeper than the usual recreational diving limit in the Maldives. Reports say the normal recreational diving limit there is about 100 feet.
Authorities have not yet said whether the deaths were caused by oxygen toxicity, panic, poor visibility, equipment failure, rough conditions, or a mix of several problems.
For now, the families of the victims are waiting for answers about what went wrong during what was supposed to be a dream diving trip.
To view more cases involving tourist tragedies and dangerous incidents in the water, check out our video here:
