A sixth diver escaped death in the Maldives only because she chose not to enter the water, as investigators piece together what killed her five Italian colleagues in an underwater cave. The survivor, a student at the University of Genoa, remained aboard the yacht as her companions descended into the caves of Vaavu Atoll. She is now returning to Italy. The five who dived never resurfaced. One body has been recovered from inside a cave; authorities believe the remaining four are in the same cavern. The victims include marine biologist and University of Genoa professor Monica Montefalcone, 51, and her 22-year-old daughter Giorgia Sommacal, along with colleagues Muriel Oddenino, 31, Gianluca Benedetti, 44, and Federico Gualtieri, 31. Montefalcone’s husband, Carlo Sommacal, said his wife was an “expert” diver and “never reckless.” “Something happened down there,” he said. Investigators are examining several potential causes. There was no local guide accompanying the group, as required by Maldivian law, and it remains unclear whether the divers used a safety rope—mandatory in certain caves—to navigate the underwater cavern. Police have not ruled out oxygen toxicity, poor visibility caused by bad weather, or panic triggering fatal errors. Local officials called it the worst single diving accident in the nation’s history.
