Five experienced Italian divers who vanished inside an underwater cave system in the Maldives may have become trapped after taking a wrong turn deep below the surface, investigators now believe.
The group disappeared during a dive near Alimathaa Island in Vaavu Atoll on 14 May, in what has since become the deadliest diving tragedy in Maldivian history. Recovery teams later found the divers inside the cave's deepest chamber alongside recovered GoPro cameras that could now reveal their final moments, including how panic, poor visibility and rapidly falling oxygen levels may have turned the exploration fatal.
GoPro Cameras May Explain What Happened
Authorities recovered GoPro cameras, dive computers and other underwater equipment from the cave system where the five Italian divers were found dead earlier this week.
Investigators hope the footage could help reconstruct the group's final movements inside the underwater chambers near Vaavu Atoll, a popular Maldives diving destination known for strong currents and deep cave systems.
According to reports from Finnish technical divers involved in the recovery mission, the group likely entered the wrong chamber after visibility collapsed underwater. Stirred-up sand and silt may have created what divers call a 'sand wall illusion,' making the correct exit impossible to see.
The divers were eventually discovered near a dead-end third chamber at depths reaching nearly 200 feet.
Experienced Italian Divers Disappeared During Trip
The victims were identified as marine ecology professor Monica Montefalcone, her daughter Giorgia Sommacal, marine researcher Muriel Oddenino, Federico Gualtieri and dive instructor Gianluca Benedetti.
The group had travelled to the Maldives for a scientific expedition studying coral reefs and climate change impacts on marine biodiversity. During the trip, they reportedly decided to explore the underwater cave system using recreational scuba gear rather than technical cave-diving equipment.
An internationally led recovery operation is under way in the Maldives to retrieve the bodies of 4 Italian divers from a deep underwater cave. They were among 5 who entered the water in Vaavu Atoll on Thursday. Italy, Britain and Australia are assisting the grim recovery. pic.twitter.com/e65aM0ZQhx
— Ranga Sirilal (@rangaba) May 19, 2026
Montefalcone, who had completed more than 5,000 dives, was known to regularly film dives using a GoPro camera.
Benedetti's body was initially found near the cave entrance shortly after the group disappeared. The remaining four divers were recovered days later from deeper inside the cave.
Investigators Believe Low Oxygen Became Deadly
Recovery specialists from Finland and DAN Europe believe the divers may have realised too late they had entered a dead-end chamber with a limited remaining air supply.
Laura Marroni, CEO of DAN Europe, told Italian media the group may have had only minutes to escape once they noticed the route was wrong.
The divers were reportedly using standard 12-litre scuba tanks, which are not designed for prolonged dives at extreme depths exceeding normal recreational limits.
Experts say dives below 50 metres increase the risks of nitrogen narcosis, disorientation and rapid oxygen depletion, especially inside enclosed cave environments with poor visibility.
Military Diver Also Died During Recovery Mission
The tragedy grew even worse when Maldivian military diver Sgt Mohamed Mahudhee died from decompression sickness while helping search for the missing group.
Mahudhee, described as one of the Maldives National Defence Force's strongest divers, reportedly lacked specialised cave-diving training for the dangerous recovery mission.
Maldives Police and Italian prosecutors have both opened investigations into the disaster, including questions surrounding dive planning, equipment choices and whether the liveaboard vessel had permission for cave exploration.
Families of the victims are now waiting for answers as investigators review the recovered GoPro footage and underwater data.
