The Finnish special divers published the first pictures from the cave after the rescue operation.Image: https://www.instagram.com/daneurope
After the tragic diving accident in the Maldives, elite Finnish divers have published for the first time photos from the cave in which five Italian divers died.
May 22, 2026, 5:59 p.mMay 22, 2026, 5:59 p.m
The pictures show the complex cave system into which the group disappeared on Ascension Thursday. They were published by the diving organization DAN Europe on Instagram.
Disturbed sediments create almost complete darkness in the cave.Image: https://www.instagram.com/daneurope
Blue light can initially be seen in the images before the cave turns into complete darkness. According to the divers, visibility becomes worse as depth increases because fine coral sediments are stirred up.
The missing Italian divers were discovered in this cave system.Image: https://www.instagram.com/daneurope
Bodies discovered in deep cave
Three Finnish special divers searched for the missing people on Monday. In the third section of the cave system they finally came across the bodies of the five Italians at a depth of more than 60 meters.
Four of the victims – Monica Montefalcone (51), Giorgia Sommacal (22), Federico Gualtieri (31) and Muriel Oddenino (31) – are now to be returned to their homeland. The body of the fifth victim, Gianluca Benedetti, had previously been recovered.
A diver from the Maldives also died during an initial rescue operation.
According to the rescue divers, visibility deteriorates significantly as depth increases.Image: https://www.instagram.com/daneurope
Apparently at a dead end
After the operation, the rescuers said that the bodies were close to each other. It was relieved to find the group at all after they had remained undetected for a long time during the first search.
The images show the narrow and dark passages of the underwater cave.Image: https://www.instagram.com/daneurope
According to current findings, an optical illusion could have led to the accident. Deposits of sand would have made the actual exit appear closed. Another tunnel, on the other hand, looked open, but led to a dead end.
The divers were later discovered dead there. There is no evidence of injuries or being trapped – they apparently ran out of air in the cave. (mke)