Italy opens own investigation into Ladives diver deaths as ‘extreme’ weather halts recovery

Italian prosecutors launched their own investigation on Friday into the horrific deaths of five of its citizens on a diving trip to the Maldives – as the search for the remaining bodies had to be called off due to “extremely bad” weather that hit the beautiful islands.

Prosecutors in Rome are awaiting a report from the Italian embassy in Sri Lanka, which represents the tourist destination, before deciding whether to refer the case to local law enforcement, according to Italian news agency ANSA.

Local authorities are investigating whether weather warnings and diving regulations were ignored before Thursday’s disaster near Alimatha Island.

Four of the five missing adventure seekers have not been found and divers are searching two sections of the cave, which is about 200 feet below the surface – double the Maldives’ recreational depth limit of 100 feet.

Challenging weather conditions have since halted restoration work.

“In this event, the Maldivian divers were able to enter the first two, then they had to go up to allow time to cool down, and they have not been able to see the bodies of the other Italian divers,” said Damiano Francovigh, Italian Ambassador to Sri Lanka.

“They are planning to dive again, but only tomorrow. The weather in the Maldives is very bad at the moment, with strong wind and heavy rain. I was also told about strong currents, which unfortunately make the work very difficult.”

Divers, air support units, and boats were used as part of the search efforts.

One body was found. Maldivian media suggested that Monica Montefalcone’s remains had been found, but ANSA said the body belonged to diving instructor and yacht captain Gianluca Benedetti.

Three other adventure seekers on the trip – Muriel Oddenino, Federico Gualtieri, and Montefalcone’s daughter Giorgia Sommacal – also failed to appear.

Authorities said 20 other Italians were on board the Duke of York before the sinking, which was expected to last an hour.

“They dived at 11:00 in the morning and when we didn’t see them go back around 12:00 at night, we searched for them by boat,” another person told ANSA.

Others said the sea was “beautiful” and had good visibility – before the weather turned bad.

But what happened under the water is still a mystery.

“We don’t know what might have happened in those caves,” said the visitor.

Medical professionals have begun to share ideas that can provide insight into death.

Pulmonologist Claudio Micheletto told Italian news outlet Adnkronos that divers could die from oxygen poisoning.

“If you breathe too much oxygen, the gas becomes harmful to the body,” he said.

“During diving, dizziness, pain, altered awareness and confusion occur, making it impossible to get out.”

But, Alfonso Bolognini, president of the Italian Society of Underwater and Hyperbaric Medicine, suggested that divers may be shocked underwater, which can prevent visibility and increase the risk of fatal errors.

Freediver Umberto Pelizzari, who went on the Duke of York six months ago, said divers “can get lost in the cave.”

“You go into the first room, then the second, then the third,” he told La Stampa.

“You turn around, the water is muddy, and you think you’ve passed that way, but you’re wrong.

“You’re out of control, and you’re in [150-200 feet]where there are diving rules and times that must be respected. The cave becomes a trap.”