Italy secures divers’ devices as prosecutors map final moments inside Alimatha cave

The mobile phones and electronic equipment belonging to the five Italian divers who died in the tragic incident near V. Alimatha have been transported to Italy for forensic examination.

Italian authorities have opened a criminal investigation into the deaths.

According to Italian media, the Genoa flying squad has taken custody of the divers’ mobile phones and other electronic devices for analysis. The items were reportedly carried to Italy by Stefano Venin, a professor at the University of Genoa who had been on the same safari as the victims, to be handed over to prosecutors in Rome leading the inquiry.

Italian investigators have also requested the GoPro cameras and dive computers recovered by the Finnish cave‑rescue specialists. Experts say the devices, now secured in police custody, are expected to reveal the depth the divers reached, the duration of the dive, their air consumption, and any video footage captured during the fatal descent.

The deceased were Monica Montefalcone, a professor at the University of Genoa, and her daughter Giorgia Somacal, along with researcher Muriel Odenino, research assistant Federico Gualtieri and instructor Gianluca Benedetti. MNDF diver Sergeant First Class Mohamed Mahudhy, who died during the rescue operation, was also killed in the line of duty.

The bodies of the divers were retrieved by Finnish cave‑rescue experts Sami Parkarinen, Patrik Gronqvist and Jenny Vesterland, operating on behalf of DAN Europe.

The rescue team believes the group entered the cave independently and became trapped after mistakenly following a closed passage. According to DAN Europe CEO Laura Marroni, a sand dune inside the cave had obscured visibility, causing the divers to move into a blocked route they believed was the exit. Four bodies were found together, indicating they likely became disoriented at the same point. Benedetti’s body, however, was recovered from the first section of the cave.

Local Italian newspapers report that the bodies will be repatriated for autopsy. Authorities are seeking to determine the root cause of the tragedy using data extracted from the dive computers and cameras.