UNDERWATER HORROR 

Maldives divers ‘were sucked into the cave & unable to swim out before running out of air’ – as final bodies recovered

FIVE Italian divers who drowned in a tragic Maldives expedition may have been sucked into a cave and ran out of oxygen trying to escape, a new theory suggests.

An elite task force of divers have now recovered all five of the bodies trapped deep inside Thinwana Kandu cave, also known as “shark cave”.

Two bodies of Italian divers recovered after fatal diving incident in Maldives

One of the recovered bodies being transferred to an ambulanceCredit: EPA

Search and recovery operations continue for bodies of Italian divers in Maldives
A team of expert Finnish divers have been conducting recovery operationsCredit: EPA

Italy Maldives Dive Accident
Experienced diver and marine biologist Monica Montefalcone died in the tragedyCredit: AP

Five Italians die during cave scuba dive in Maldives
Her daughter, Giorgia Sommacal, was another victimCredit: UGC/UNPIXS
Monica Montefalcone, her daughter Giorgia Sommacal, Muriel Oddenino, and Federico Gualtieri were discovered by the elite unit after disappearing on Thursday morning.

The university research group were accompanied by boat captain and seasoned diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti, who was found last week.

The divers were highly-experienced and their disappearance has left investigators scratching their heads.

Several theories have emerged as to how they succumbed to such a tragic fate, but perhaps the most terrifying is a recent suggestion that the group were sucked into the cave.

Recovery operation for four Italian scuba divers near Vaavu Atoll
Specialist gear is being used for the high-stakes operationCredit: Reuters
 

NINTCHDBPICT001081868886
A diver swimming through the gloom in search of the victim’s bodiesCredit: youtube/Neva Divers
 

Police officers stand next to an ambulance carrying the body of one of the five Italian scuba divers, in Male
Police officers stand next to an ambulance carrying the body of one of the five Italian scuba divers who died in an accident in underwater cavesCredit: Reuters
 

Rescue diver dies during search for bodies of Italians who drowned in Maldives caves
Maldivian diver Mohammed Mahdhi tragically died during the search missionCredit: MALDIVES GOV/UNPIXS
The three Finnish divers who recovered the bodies also handed local authorities GoPro cameras that belonged to the tragic tourists on Wednesday – key pieces of evidence which will help investigators piece together their last moments.

Alfonso Bolognini, president of the Italian Society of Underwater and Hyperbaric Medicine, told Italian outlet Adnkronos that they may have been caught out while checking out the cave for future dives.

He suggested that they may have been sucked into it by a very strong current caused by the site’s unique entrance.

The cave’s narrow pathway may have created a “Venturi effect” where fluid must speed up to maintain a constant flow, causing a pressure drop and creating a vacuum.

Five Italians die during cave scuba dive in Maldives
The expedition was helped by diving instructor and boat captain Gianluca Padua, whose body has been recoveredCredit: UGC/UNPIXS
 

Five Italians die during cave scuba dive in Maldives
University researcher Muriel Oddenino was also on the diveCredit: UGC/UNPIXS
 

Five Italians die during cave scuba dive in Maldives
As was marine biologist Federico GualtieriCredit: UGC/UNPIXS
 

Illustration of the "Cave Disaster" scuba diving incident, showing a map of the Maldives, the Duke of York Yacht, the dive depth, and theories on how the divers died.
Bolognini said that he’d come to the hypothesis after hearing about the conditions underwater from the expert DAN Europe divers.

He said: “They first sent a ROV (remotely operated vehicle) to the cave entrance. They couldn’t get it in due to the very strong currents, so they had to go there themselves.”

Based on a cave diagram sent to him by the divers, Bolognini believes that a “formidable” Venturi effect could be created.

“Two things could have happened after the suction,” Bolognini explains.

“Either everyone was sucked in, or one was sucked in and the others attempted a rescue.”

The theory would provide an explanation for why such a qualified group of divers went missing.

Monica had over 5,000 dives under her belt, and her husband has blasted any suggestion that she would knowingly put her daughter in harm’s way.

Her husband and Giorgia’s father, Carlo Sommacal, said: “The only certainty I have is that my wife is among the best divers on the face of the earth.”

In an interview with Repubblica, a grieving Carlo said his wife “would never have put our daughter’s life at risk”.

Bolognini has suggested that the group were exploring a reef and decided to visit the cave at the end of the trip.

“They decided to make this dive a little deeper to view the entrance, they were sucked into a probably dark environment, with zero visibility even for finning, in a state of great disorientation, probably due to panic,” Bolognini claimed.

“In their desperate search for a way out, they probably also ran out of air.

“But that’s it, In my opinion, a fairly reliable reconstruction of what happened.”

It comes as the Rome Prosecutor’s Office has launched a manslaughter probe into the divers’ deaths.

Perilous local search efforts were hampered by bad weather over the weekend.

A Maldivian military rescue diver Mohamed Mahudhee died from decompression illness on Saturday – highlighting the mission’s extreme danger and bringing the total death toll to six.