Authorities in the Maldives located the bodies of four Italian divers inside a deep underwater cave days
May 18, 2026: Rescuers in the Maldives have located the bodies of four Italian divers who went missing while exploring an underwater cave in Vaavu Atoll. According to Italy’s Foreign Ministry, the divers disappeared on Thursday after failing to return to the surface during a deep dive at around 50 metres below sea level. The body of a fifth Italian diver had earlier been recovered outside the cave.
Maldivian authorities said the bodies were discovered in the innermost section of the cave system by Finnish cave-diving experts working alongside police and military rescue teams. Officials stated that rough weather conditions repeatedly hampered rescue operations, while a local military diver also lost his life during an earlier search mission. Authorities described the incident as one of the deadliest diving disasters in the Maldives.
Four of the victims were reportedly part of a research team from the University of Genoa studying coral reefs in the region. Officials said the group had permission for scientific dives but there was no mention of cave exploration in the proposal submitted to Maldivian authorities. Investigations into the exact cause of the tragedy are ongoing.