A team of Finnish diving experts have located the four bodies of the Italian divers who recently died in an underwater cave in the Maldives.
Officials confirmed the bodies had been found, CBS News reported Monday.
A spokesman for the Maldives government, Ahmed Shaam, said “As was previously thought, the four bodies were found inside the cave, not only inside the cave but well inside the cave into the third segment of the cave, which is the largest part.” He added that crews are planning to recover the bodies over the next few days.
The body of a diving instructor who also died with the group on Thursday had previously been found outside the cave that was located 160 feet underwater.
“The victims have been identified as Monica Montefalcone, an associate professor of ecology at the University of Genoa; her daughter, Giorgia Sommacal; marine biologist Federico Gualtieri; researcher Muriel Oddenino; and diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti, according to the Maldivian government,” the CBS article read.
In addition, a military diver died Saturday after a mission to find the group. He was identified as Mohamed Mahudhee of the Maldivian National Defense Force. His life was cut short due to underwater decompression sickness once he was taken to a hospital, according to NBC News.
The Finnish divers arrived on Sunday to help in the search after Mahudhee died, per the Associated Press (AP).
The CBS article explained the dangers of such underwater exploration:
Cave diving is a highly technical and dangerous activity that requires specialized training, equipment and strict safety protocols. Risks increase sharply in environments where divers cannot head straight up and at depth, particularly when conditions are poor. Experts say it’s easy to become disoriented or lost inside caves, particularly as sediment clouds can sharply reduce visibility.
The group’s depth exceeds the maximum depth recommended for recreational divers by most major established scuba certifying agencies.
The Finnish divers found the group inside Thinwana Kandu cave which is also called “shark cave,” according to the New York Post.
“The divers, who previously took part in the successful rescue of a Thai soccer team in 2018, were called in after local authorities were unable to provide the necessary equipment to reach the depths of 500 feet required to enter the caves,” the outlet said.