Five Italian divers, including a prominent marine biology professor and her daughter, died during a cave exploration in the Maldives' Vaavu Atoll on Thursday. The group disappeared while diving near Alimatha, prompting a major search and rescue operation by the Maldives National Defence Force.

The University of Genoa's lost marine biology team

The tragedy has struck the academic community, as the group included several prominent researchers from the University of Genoa. According to Italian media, 51-year-old Monica Montefalcone, a professor of Tropical Marine Ecology and Underwater Science, was among the deceased. She was accompanied by her 20-year-old daughter, Giorgia Sommacal, and colleague Muriel Oddenino.

The expedition team also included Gianluca Benedetti, an operations manager and diving instructor from Padua, and Federico Gualtieri from Borgomanero. The loss of such specialized personnel , particularly Montefalcone, who served as a scientific director for island monitoring campaigns,marks a significant blow to the marine research community.

A 60-meter descent into the Vaavu Atoll caves

The expedition took place near Alimatha, a popular diving location within the Vaavu Atoll. The Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) reported that the divers were exploring a cave system that extends to a depth of approximately 60 metres (200 feet). The group had been traveling on the 'Duke of York,' a luxury live-aboard yacht built in 2010, when they were reported missing on Thursday afternoon.

The 'Duke of York' is a foreign-operated vessel specifically designed for tourists seeking deep-sea diving destinations in the Maldives. Local officials have described the incident as the worst single diving accident in the nation's history.

The hyperoxic crisis theory and the Duke of York's nitrox

Medical experts are investigating whether oxygen toxicity played a role in the fatal accident. Alfonso Bolognini, president of the Italian Society of Underwater and Hyperbaric Medicine, noted that at depths of 50 meters, an inadequate breathing mix can trigger a "hyperoxic crisis." This condition increases the partial pressure of oxygen in the blood, potentially causing neurological issues and panic.

As reported by La Repubblica, the Duke of York yacht provides nitrox—a breathing mixture composed of nitrogen and oxygen—to its passengers. While nitrox is standard for such dives, experts suggest that in a cave environment, any agitation or panic can cause water to become cloudy, impairing visibility and leading to fatal errors. Police are also investigating whether sudden changes in weather visibility contributed to the group losing their bearings.

The search for four missing divers near Alimatha

While one body has been recovered from within a cave, the status of the remaining four divers remains a critical concern for local authorities. The MNDF stated that it is believed the other victims are located within the same cave system. The identity of the first recovered diver has not yet been publicly released.

Maldives Minister of Tourism Mohamed Ameen confirmed that coast guard officers and security forces are actively scouring the remote seas where the divers were last seen. Investigators are currently working to determine if the divers became trapped due to a single member getting stuck , or if a collective panic led to the group running out of air while attempting a rescue.