A seasoned diver from the Maldives has stated that the five Italian divers who tragically lost their lives in a deep underwater cave were without the necessary government permits for such a perilous dive. He believes they might still be alive if the regulations had been adhered to.
The group was diving at Alimasa Cave in Vaab Atoll, approximately 160 feet below the surface, according to the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Shahras Naim, a divemaster with over 30 years of technical diving experience, has conducted more than 50 dives in that cave. He also serves as an advisor to the Maldives Defense Force, and sadly, a coast guard diver lost his life there just days later.
“It’s well known that the rules were overlooked,” Naim mentioned in a conversation with Agence Italy.
He described the cave’s entrance, which reaches depths of 180 to 190 feet, leading into a narrow tunnel that delves further into the darkness. This kind of diving isn’t for casual divers—it requires expertise.
In the Maldives, recreational diving is limited to a maximum depth of 100 feet. This is the same depth as the foreign-operated liveaboard yacht, Duke of York, which also had additional tourists on board.
As investigations unfold, the Maldivian Ministry of Tourism has suspended the vessel’s license while local authorities and Italian prosecutors examine the situation surrounding the divers’ disappearance.
Maldivian officials haven’t definitively indicated whether the vessel operator lacked the right permits but haven’t provided evidence that they did possess them either.
The Italian travel company Albatross and the University of Genoa, which sent researchers to study the Maldives, both stated they did not give permission for the dive.
Naim posited that the Italians probably succumbed to multiple issues, such as not having enough gas, experiencing nitrogen narcosis, and visibility problems. He pointed out that complications underwater often lead to a cascading effect.
“Caves can be brutal, as direct ascent isn’t an option,” he remarked. “Even the best divers encounter significant hurdles.”
To date, the only body retrieved was that of diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti, who was 44 years old.
An attempt by a team of eight Coast Guard divers to recover additional bodies ended tragically, with one diver reportedly dying from suspected decompression sickness. A specialized team from Finland is en route to assist with the operation.
Among those still missing is marine biologist Monica Montefalcone, who was 51 and working with the University of Genoa to study climate change effects on tropical biodiversity, along with her daughter Giorgia Sonmakal, 22, and researcher Muriel Odenino, 31. Frederico Gualtieri, 31, another victim and a graduate of the university’s marine biology program, was also part of the group. His thesis focused on the coral diversity in the Maldives.
