World2 min(s) read
Published 16:10 25 May 2026 GMT
The first snaps from the fateful underwater Maldives cave, which claimed the lives of five Italian divers, have been released.
Four of the victims' bodies were repatriated to Milan on Saturday (May 23) for Italian prosecutors to continue with their manslaughter investigation.
The five divers died in a cave at least 60 feet underwater in the Maldives, with the bodies of Monica Montefalcone, 52, an associate professor of ecology at the University of Genoa, her daughter, Giorgia Sommacal, 20, marine biologist Federico Gualtieri, 31, and researcher Muriel Oddenino, 31, reported missing after they failed to surface.
And now, photos that were taken by one of the Finnish divers who headed up rescue attempts to recover the victims have been released.
The brave divers managed to make it out, after one Maldives National Defense Forces' search and rescue team member tragically died during a dive.
Sami Paakkarinen, one of the Finnish divers part of the recovery team, said they were just 15 minutes from the surface when they died, and sadly did not have the equipment they needed to survive.
"Unfortunately, in most cave diving accidents, the main cause is always human error," he said.
The first set of photos were taken near the mouth of the cave, with sunlight still visible, showing how the cave looked, as this is where diving instructor and boat captain Gianluca Benedetti was found, separated from the group on the day of the tragedy.
Benedetti is said to have tried to escape but ran out of air and died near its entrance.
The second set of photos shows the eerie details which laid inside the cave, with visibility significantly reduced.
A small kick from the fins can result in sediment being brought up from the ocean floor, blinding divers - this is where it is said the group became disoriented.
Paakkarinen claimed that the group went into the cave lacking proper diving equipment, including a diving reel or guide rope, which may have saved them from dying in the underwater cave.
He explained: "The equipment we found them with wasn't optimal, they weren't using underwater caving gear,
"In general, for those who visit caves, it's known that it's not very wise to do so without a safety line."
The Italian tour company that sold trips on the yacht claimed its operator "did not know" the group planned to go deeper than the legal recreational limit, saying they wouldn't have allowed it.
Maldivian authorities in the Maldives said they suspended the Duke of York liveaboard's operating licence indefinitely, with the investigation ongoing.
