Among the missing tourists are Sergeant Mohamed
18 May 2026 11:48 Last update:18 May 2026 11:58 Last update:18 May 2026 11:58 The recovery operation of the four Italian tourists who disappeared in an underwater cave in the Maldives has turned into a new tragedy, after the death of an experienced military diver involved in the mission. Local authorities and international teams are trying to recover the bodies of victims from a dangerous submarine located at tens of meters depth, in an environment described as extremely dangerous.
Among the missing tourists are Sergeant Mohamed Mahudhee, one of the most experienced Italian military divers on a diving expedition. Rescuers face strong currents, low visibility, and major decompression risks. The investigation is now also targeting the legality of the sinking after reports emerged that the group had descended well above the legal limit. Sergeant Mohamed Mahudhee, one of the most experienced military divers in the Maldives, died during the second recovery mission. However, according to the authorities, he may have suffered complications from underwater decompression disease, a risky procedure in deepwater scuba diving.
Three Finnish experts from the Divers Alert Network have already arrived in the archipelago and are collaborating with the local coastguard for a new recovery strategy. Special equipment has also been recovered from the Mediterranean and Australia, according to authorities. Experts say that the depth of the deep and high mud on the bottom of the cave can quickly reduce visibility and can even cause panic, in the case of British and Romanian experimental science. Expeditions in the archipelago are still underway, but the British and Romanian empires have not yet completed the study of the depths of the sea, and how they have been able to explore the area without permission.
The Italian operator who organized the expedition claimed that he was unaware of the group's intention to descend to such depths and said that the equipment used was for recreational diving, not technical exploration in caves.