Police have launched an investigation into the death of Sergeant Mohamed Mahdhee, a soldier who lost his life during a recovery operation for the bodies of Italian tourists trapped in an underwater cave at Vaavu Atoll Devana Kandu.
According to official authorities, Mahdhee and seven other military divers were involved in the operation to the cave, but Mahdhee was discovered missing when his team surfaced.
A police diving team located him and brought him to the surface; however, he was in critical condition and passed away after being transported to the hospital in Male'.
Despite the official account, conflicting reports are circulating widely on social media. Many are questioning how Mahdhee’s absence was only noticed after the team surfaced, given that he was diving with a partner in accordance with the mandatory "buddy system" protocols.
In response to these concerns, a police media official said that they are investigating the circumstances that led to his tragic death during Saturday’s search operation.
The government and the military command that authorized the operation are facing criticism over the incident. Many are questioning why the recovery mission proceeded despite inadequate training and a lack of equipment.
These concerns were fueled by televised comments made by MNDF Commandant Mohamed Saleem on Friday, who had revealed that military divers were trained to descend to a maximum depth of 50 meters.
However, following the tragedy, Saleem backtracked on his earlier remarks, claiming that the military does have the capability to dive deeper than 50 meters using normal compressed air.
