Hero Maldives rescue diver shares chilling ‘shark cave’ details as he rejects leading theory over deaths
A Finnish rescue diver involved in recovering the bodies of the Italian divers from a 160ft deep underwater cave in the Maldives has dismissed a theory about how the tragedy unfolded.
The group of five were killed following an underwater cave expedition at a popular diving spot near Vaavu Atoll last Thursday (14 May).
The victims have been identified as University of Genoa ecology professor Monica Montefalcone, her daughter Giorgia Sommacal, research fellow Muriel Oddenino, marine biology graduate Federico Gualtieri and diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti.
Maldives rescue diver Mohamed Mahdhee also died trying to recover their bodies.
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Sami Paakkarinen, one of three divers, said it was 'impossible' that the group had been sucked into the cave by powerful currents — a theory previously suggested by underwater medicine specialist Alfonso Bolognini.
Bolognini said a 'Venturi effect' inside the narrow cave entrance may have created a vacuum-like force that dragged the divers deeper into the cavern system.
“It’s a huge cave, but it’s not possible they were sucked in,” he told Corriere della Sera.
“The water moves in one direction for 12 hours and then in the opposite direction for another 12… Continuous currents.”
Paakkarinen said the currents are 'very predictable' in coral reefs and that when the rescue team entered the cave, they felt a 'very light current inside it'.
“It’s true that there is a current going in and out of the cave,” the pro-diver added.
“The cave, so to speak, is breathing. But it’s really not very strong. It couldn’t have sucked anyone in.
“It’s a huge cave… in the Maldives, the sun shines up to 100 meters deep.
“So at 60 meters it’s still daylight, and when you enter a cave, you know it because it gets dark, you don’t risk accidentally entering a cave.”
The last two bodies were recovered by the three Finnish divers supported by the Maldives coastguard and police.
“After that we will coordinate with the Italian government and start the procedure to repatriate the bodies,” presidential spokesperson, Mohameed Hussain Shareef, said.
The rescue workers, for DAN Europe, are exploring the possibility that the divers may have taken the wrong tunnel on their way out of the underwater cave, leading to them being trapped in a dead-end corridor.
"There was no way out from there," DAN Europe's CEO, Laura Marroni, told Italy's La Repubblica.
The corridor - about 30 metres long and three metres across - leads to a second chamber of the cave, which is a large, round space with no natural light.
"The divers' bodies were all found inside, as if they had mistaken it for the right one," the paper added.
Topics: News, World News
Anish Vij