Rescuer dies in search for 4 missing Italian divers in Maldives
發佈日期: 2026-05-17 21:00
TVB News
Tragedy deepened in the Maldives as a military diver died in a high-risk mission to recover the bodies of four missing Italians believed to be deep inside an underwater cave, which prompted local authorities to announce temporary suspension of the search.
The Italian foreign minister reportedly offered condolences for the Maldivian diver and said everything possible would be done to return the victims' remains.
Maldives presidential spokesman said Mohamed Mahudhee, a member of the Maldivian National Defense Force, died of underwater decompression sickness after being taken to a hospital in the capital, Male.
The official said the death "goes to show the difficulty of the mission."
On Thursday, a total of five Italian divers including biology researchers died while attempting to explore caves at a depth of 50 metres in Vaatu Atoll during a scientific cruise focused on coral sampling.
Authorities say they went far beyond planned depth and the equipment used appeared to be standard recreational gear.
Despite the rough weather, recovery teams had explored two of the three chambers and worked in shifts to locate the remaining four.
