The Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) believes that four Italian tourists who went missing during a diving excursion from a safari vessel in Vaavu Atoll are trapped inside an underwater cave.
According to the military, the body of one of the five divers reported missing today was discovered inside the cave at a depth of approximately 60 meters.
"It is suspected that the remaining four divers are inside this cave, which is approximately 200 feet long. As this is a highly dangerous, high-risk operation, additional MNDF Coast Guard divers and specialized equipment have been dispatched to the area," the MNDF stated.
The disappearance of the divers was first reported at 1:45 pm on May 14. Following an extensive air and sea search operation, the body of the deceased tourist was located by divers from the safari vessel at 6:13 pm.
