The first two bodies recovered from the third chamber of the Vaavu Atoll Cave Dive site have been successfully brought to the surface and transferred aboard the recovery vessel, sources involved in the operation confirmed to The Standard.
The recovery operation resumed today as foreign cave diving experts and Maldivian authorities continued the complex mission inside the underwater cave system where four Italian divers went missing last week.
According to sources, the remaining two bodies are expected to be recovered tomorrow, depending on underwater conditions and operational safety assessments inside the cave network.
The bodies were located earlier this week inside the third segment of the cave following orientation dives conducted by elite Finnish cave diving specialists assisting the multinational recovery effort.
The mission has been described as one of the most technically challenging underwater recovery operations carried out in the Maldives due to the cave’s depth, narrow passages, and hazardous conditions.
The tragedy has also claimed the life of Maldivian military diver Mohamed Mahudhee, who died from decompression sickness while participating in earlier recovery efforts. President Dr Mohamed Muizzu had earlier stated that the recovery of the missing divers remained the government’s highest priority.
