Specialist divers have now found the bodies of four people from a scuba expedition who lost their lives while exploring an underwater cave system in the Maldives, as previously shared words from the group’s marine biologist have surfaced.
Monica Montefalcone, 51, a lecturer at the University of Genova, died during the dive along with her daughter Giorgia Sommacal, 20, and fellow divers Muriel Oddenino, 31, and Federico Gualtieri, 31. The group had entered the caves with instructor Gianluca Benedetti, 44.
All five of the Italian divers died in a cave around 160ft beneath the surface near the Vaavu Atoll, an area known for its sprawling reef and a challenging, maze-like network of caves.
In the hours before the fatal dive, Montefalcone—an experienced diver and marine biologist—sent an email explaining why direct observation is central to her work, comments that now read as especially moving as recovery efforts continue.
The University of Genova academic described the value of first-hand study of marine environments in a message sent at 10.15pm.
“It is fundamental to observe the underwater environment — which remains far too unknown to the general public — whether with our own eyes or through the lens of a robot,” Montefalcone wrote in an email at 10.15pm.
Montefalcone, known for her work on seagrass, had travelled with her daughter Giorgia Sommacal, a student at the same university. The trip was intended to assess how climate change is affecting biodiversity in tropical areas.
After the deaths were reported, Montefalcone’s husband, Carlo Sommacal, spoke to local media, stressing his confidence in her experience and judgment.
“The only certainty I have is that my wife is among the best divers on the face of the earth. She’s never been a reckless person.
“She would have never jeopardized the life of our daughter or any other young people.”
Oddenino, a university research fellow, and Gualtieri, who had completed a Master’s degree, were also among those who died. The incident has been described as the worst such tragedy in the Maldives’ history and has since also led to the death of a military diver involved in attempts to retrieve the bodies.
So far, only one body has been recovered: instructor Benedetti, who was located near the cave entrance. Officials and rescuers have said bringing out the remaining four would be significantly more difficult.
“It’s a particularly complex dive because the cave is divided into three separate, interconnected segments,” Italian Ambassador Damiano Francovigh explained. “The Maldivian divers were only able to enter the first two, then had to come up to allow time for decompression.”
Authorities believe the other four were located deeper inside the system, in a third chamber further into the cave network.
Ahmed Shaam, a spokesperson for the Maldives government, said: “As was previously thought, the four bodies were found inside the cave, not only inside the cave but well inside the cave into the third segment of the cave, which is the largest part.”
He added that the four were found close to one another, and that the plan was to attempt to recover up to two bodies per day, depending on weather conditions.