A rescue diver has died while searching for the bodies of four Italians who died in a scuba-diving accident in the Maldives.
Staff Sgt Mohamed Mahdhee was taken to hospital in critical condition and later succumbed to his injuries, a government spokesman confirmed.
Five Italians died while attempting to explore caves at a depth of around 50m (164ft) on Thursday. So far, the body of one of them is thought to have been recovered, in a cave at a depth of around 60m (197ft).
This incident is believed to be the worst single diving accident in the tiny Indian Ocean nation.
President Mohamed Muizzu visited the site on Saturday to oversee the search operations. When the rescue divers realized Mr. Mahdhee had not resurfaced, they performed a second dive and found him unconscious.
The operation was described as very high risk due to unfavorable weather conditions. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani expressed condolences and highlighted the partnership in grief between Italy and the Maldives due to this tragedy.
The five Italians included team members from the University of Genoa, who were reported missing after diving early Thursday and failing to resurface. Local authorities are investigating why they ventured to such depths, as general recreational divers are only permitted to dive up to 30m.
As the search continues for the remaining bodies, this tragic event raises serious questions about diving safety protocols in deep-water operations.
