Three Finnish expert divers arrive in Maldives to assist in search for missing tourists

Three expert divers from Finland have arrived in the Maldives to assist in the ongoing search for four Italian tourists who went missing while diving near Vaavu Atoll.

The arrival of the specialist team was confirmed to Sun by the government’s chief spokesperson, Mohamed Hussian Shareef (Mundhu).

On Saturday, the spokesperson said the three technical diving experts are being brought in at the request of the Italian government. He added that the governments of the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States have offered assistance.

The team that arrived in the Maldives on Sunday was assembled through coordination between the Italian, British, and Australian governments, and includes a cave diving specialist.

The five Italian tourists went missing last Thursday during a diving excursion. One individual was later found dead, while the search for the remaining four continued until Saturday, when operations were temporarily suspended.                  

The suspension of the search operation was prompted by the death of a Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) diver involved rescue in the mission on Saturday afternoon. The deceased officer was identified as Sergeant First Class Mohamed Mahdy.

Following Mahdy’s death, widespread concern emerged on social media, with many alleging negligence and calling for a comprehensive and specialized investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The five Italian divers reportedly descended to a depth of 60 meters to explore a cave near Vaavu Alimathaa, significantly exceeding the maximum depth limit of 30 meters permitted under Maldivian regulations for recreational diving.