Maldives underwater trip gets deadlier: Rescue diver killed, search for 4 dead Italians suspended | World News
4 min readUpdated: May 16, 2026 10:48 PM IST A Maldivian rescue diver died while searching for the bodies of four Italian divers believed to be trapped inside an underwater cave in the Maldives after a fatal scuba diving accident earlier this week. Staff Sergeant Mohamed Mahdhee was taken to hospital in critical condition after participating in the rescue operation and later succumbed to his injuries. The accident has now claimed six lives in total. The tragedy began on Thursday when five Italian divers disappeared while attempting to explore caves at a depth of around 50 metres in Vaavu Atoll, about 100 kilometres south of the Maldivian capital Malé, according to the Associated Press (AP). The recreational diving limit in the country is 30 metres. Authorities are now awaiting the arrival of three Finnish divers on Sunday. These are experts in deep and cave diving and will rethink their search strategy. Mahdhee, the dead rescue diver, will be buried with military honors in a funeral attended by President Mohamed Muzzu on Saturday night. He was …









