A team of Finnish rescue divers believes they may have uncovered the answer behind the deadliest cave-diving accident in Maldives history — a tragedy that claimed the lives of five Italian divers deep beneath the ocean.

The “Wrong Turn” Theory Inside an Underwater Cave

According to international media reports, the five divers disappeared on May 15 while exploring an underwater cave system near Vaavu Atoll in the Maldives.

The body of dive instructor Gianluca Benedetti was found near the entrance of the Thinwana Kandu cave on the same day they vanished. The other four victims were discovered earlier this week inside the third — and final — chamber of the cave, at a depth of nearly 50 meters.

Marine biologist Monica Montefalcone, 51, was among the victims of the devastating Maldives diving tragedy.

The incident has shocked the Maldives and is now considered the worst diving disaster ever recorded in the island nation. Authorities are still investigating what caused such an experienced group of divers to perish underwater.

A Finnish rescue team from Dan Europe — an organization specializing in diving safety and emergency response — took part in recovering the bodies. After surveying the scene, they believe the group may have taken a wrong passage while trying to escape the cave.

According to Laura Marroni, CEO of Dan Europe, the victims were found inside a dead-end corridor deep within the cave system, with no possible exit from that location.

The victims included marine biology professor Monica Montefalcone, her daughter Giorgia Sommacal, young researchers Federico Gualtieri and Muriel Oddenino, and dive guide Gianluca Benedetti, who had been living in the Maldives.

Rescuers described the cave near Alimatha Island as beginning with a large chamber filled with natural light and white sand. At the end of that chamber was a narrow 30-meter-long tunnel, about 3 meters wide, leading into a second chamber where natural light completely disappeared.

A critical detail appears to be a sand mound located between the tunnel and the second chamber. Divers entering the cave could easily pass over it. But when attempting to return, the mound could appear like a wall, obscuring the original exit path. To the left of the mound was another shorter corridor leading to a dead end.

“The victims were all found in this corridor, as if they mistook it for the exit,” Italian newspaper La Repubblica reported, citing investigators.

Marroni explained that if the group truly took the wrong route while running dangerously low on air, escaping would have become nearly impossible.

“At that depth, a standard air tank gives divers roughly ten minutes — perhaps even less. Once they realized they were heading the wrong way with limited oxygen remaining, panic likely set in. Rapid breathing would have caused their air supply to vanish extremely quickly,” she said.

Growing Questions Over the “Beyond Limits” Dive

Authorities in the Maldives are now investigating why the group was allowed to dive to depths approaching 60 meters when recreational diving regulations in the country limit dives to around 30 meters.

Technical equipment — including underwater cameras carried by some of the victims — has been recovered for investigation. Officials hope the footage will help reconstruct exactly what happened beneath the sea.

Carlo Sommacal, husband of victim Monica Montefalcone, said his wife was among the most experienced divers he had ever known, with nearly 5,000 dives completed.

“She was always extremely careful and never reckless. Monica would never have put her daughter or anyone else in danger,” he told Italian media.

He believes something unusual happened underwater, possibly involving equipment failure or powerful ocean currents. Another theory under consideration is that the group may have been pulled deeper into the cave by a strong Venturi-effect current — a phenomenon where water rushing through a narrow opening suddenly accelerates, creating a powerful suction force.

Investigators are also examining whether the divers carried specialized lights and an “Ariadne’s Thread” guideline — a near-essential safety device for deep cave diving.

Experts noted the group was reportedly using standard 12-liter recreational air tanks rather than specialized technical-diving equipment designed for deep cave exploration.

At depths of around 50 meters, divers typically require at least two specialized tanks to remain safe. Any dive beyond 40 meters is classified as “technical diving,” requiring advanced training and dedicated gear.

Underwater cave diving is considered one of the most dangerous forms of diving in the world because divers cannot simply ascend directly to the surface during an emergency. Even a small disturbance of sediment can reduce visibility to nearly zero, causing disorientation within seconds.

Maldives presidential spokesperson Mohammed Hussain Shareef stated that the cave system is so deep and hazardous that even elite divers with top-tier equipment rarely attempt to enter it.

Tragically, a Maldivian rescue diver named Mohamed Mahudhee also died on May 17 from decompression sickness while helping recover the victims’ bodies.

The Maldives — an island nation made up of more than 1,100 coral islands in the Indian Ocean — is globally famous for luxury tourism and world-class diving. Yet fatal deep cave-diving accidents there remain extremely rare.

Italian tour company Albatros Top Boat, which organized the trip, insisted it had no knowledge that the group intended to dive beyond legal limits. The company’s lawyer said the trip was originally planned as a coral research expedition at standard recreational depths, not a technical cave dive.

Meanwhile, the captain of the MV Duke of York stated that all passengers had been informed of the Maldives’ 30-meter maximum recreational diving limit before the excursion began.

The tragedy has sparked serious questions about diving safety oversight in the Maldives and highlighted the extreme dangers of underwater cave diving beyond recreational depth limits.