Remains of 4 Italian cave divers repatriated after Maldives deaths

The remains of four Italian researchers were flown to Milan's Malpensa Airport early Saturday, 10 days after the group vanished while diving more than twice the legal recreational depth limit inside an underwater cave in the Maldives, ABC7 Los Angeles reported.

The tragedy — which also killed a Maldivian military rescue diver during the recovery effort — has prompted two separate investigations by Maldivian authorities and renewed scrutiny of depth-limit enforcement for scientific expeditions in the archipelago.

The five divers who went missing May 14 were Monica Montefalcone, an associate professor of ecology at the University of Genoa; her daughter Giorgia Sommacal; marine biologist Federico Gualtieri; researcher Muriel Oddenino; and diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti, ABC7 Los Angeles reported, citing Italian news agency LaPresse.

The group entered a cave in Vaavu Atoll at roughly 50 meters depth. The four researchers' bodies were found at approximately 60 meters — double the Maldives' 30-meter recreational diving limit — in the cave's innermost chamber. Government spokesperson Ahmed Shaam said the four were found "pretty much together," according to ABC7 Los Angeles.

Benedetti's body was recovered and returned to Italy shortly after the disappearance. The remaining four were located with the help of three Finnish expert cave divers who joined the high-risk recovery mission.

Mohamed Mahudhee, a diver with the Maldivian military, died during the recovery operation. Maldivian authorities launched two separate investigations into the incident. Officials also noted that not all of the divers appeared on the researcher list submitted before the dive, ABC7 Los Angeles reported.

The remains of Montefalcone, Sommacal, Gualtieri and Oddenino arrived at Malpensa Airport early Saturday, completing a 10-day effort to bring the group home.

The deaths are among the most high-profile cave diving fatalities in the Maldives in recent years. Investigators are expected to examine both the planning of the dive and the emergency response that followed the group's disappearance.