Death & Tragedy

4 missing Italian divers found dead in Maldives cave

Mohamed Junayd and Angelo Amante

Reuters

May 18, 2026, 7:40 a.m. ET

COLOMBO - The Maldives government said on Monday, May 18, that the bodies of four missing Italian scuba divers who died last week had been located.

The incident occurred in the Vaavu Atoll, where the group of five had been attempting to explore a series of underwater caves at a depth of around 165 ft, according to a statement from Italy's foreign ministry.

Members of National Defense Force (MNDF) prepare to take part in a search and recovery operation for four Italian scuba divers in the waters of Vaavu Atoll, Maldives, May 16, 2026.

The body of one of the Italian divers was recovered on Friday, May 15, the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) said in a statement,

"The body was recovered from about 60 meters deep from inside a cave structure. It is assumed that the rest of the divers would also be inside this cave which is about 200 feet in length," the statement said.

It did not give any details about the identities of the victims or the exact cause of the accident.

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