Italian authorities seize Maldives divers' gear as tragic story unfolds
DIVE Magazine • • world
Key Points:
- Italian investigators have seized electronic devices from the five divers who died in the Vaavu Atoll cave on 14 May, as part of a manslaughter investigation led by Rome prosecutors.
- Finnish cave rescue experts, who recovered the bodies, suggest the divers voluntarily entered the cave but became trapped after mistaking a dead-end tunnel for the exit due to an optical illusion caused by a sandbank.
- The theory that a strong current pulled the divers into the cave has been challenged by rescuers, who describe the currents inside the cave as weak and predictable, making accidental entry unlikely.
- Questions remain about the divers' equipment and gas mixtures, as they reportedly used standard 12-litre tanks for deep dives up to 60 meters, increasing risks of nitrogen narcosis and limiting bottom time.
- Investigators are seeking access to dive computers and GoPro footage to better understand the sequence of events; autopsies are planned once the bodies are repatriated to Italy.