Newly released photographs reveal the interior of a shadowy ‘shark cave’ where five divers tragically perished – and a military hero lost his life trying to rescue them.
Five Italian divers vanished while exploring the Thinwana Kandu cave in the Maldives on May 14. Local emergency services initially halted the search the next day due to severe weather conditions and low visibility.
Shortly after the group went missing, the body of the diving instructor, Gianluca Benedetti, was discovered near the cave’s entrance.
The bodies of the other four divers were located 160ft inside the cave by a team of expert Finnish divers during a recovery operation.
Photographs taken inside the cave depict the divers using underwater torches to navigate the dark, narrow passageways. The site is often called ‘shark cave’ by locals who believe that sharks use it as a resting spot.
The missing group, consisting of a university professor, her daughter, two marine researchers, and their diving instructor, arrived at the cave on a yacht and began their descent to depths ranging from 180 to 200 feet.
At 1:45 pm local time, the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) coastguard received an emergency signal when the divers did not resurface. Harsh weather conditions, including rough seas and strong currents, complicated the initial search efforts.
Later that day, the body of the diving instructor, Mr. Benedetti, was recovered near the cave’s entrance. The other four divers – Monica Montefalcone, Giorgia Sommacal, Muriel Oddenino, and Federico Gualtieri – remained missing.
A specialized search operation involving divers, vessels, and air support was initiated the next day, led by Maldives’ President Mohamed Muizzu who visited the site to supervise the mission.
However, search and recovery operations were suspended shortly after due to worsening sea conditions, poor visibility, and the extreme risks posed by the cave’s depth to