Italian tourists found dead after bad cave dive in Maldives

The search for four missing Italian tourists in the Maldives came to a devastating end… as rescue divers recovered their bodies from a famous underwater cave following the country’s deadliest diving disaster ever.

Authorities say an elite team of Finnish rescue divers found the bodies Monday deep in the “Shark Cave,” nearly 150 meters below the surface, days after the group disappeared during an exploratory dive.

The victims were identified as being 52 years old Monica Montefalcone; his 20 year old daughter Giorgia Sommacal; Muriel Oddenino31; And Federico Gualtieri31. The body of the diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti44, had already been recovered on Friday.

Authorities say the cause of death of the five divers remains unclear.

The recovery operation was reportedly so dangerous that local teams were unable to reach the required depth to enter the cave system… prompting an international team of rescue divers to assemble within 48 hours. Finnish divers arrived in the Maldives this weekend to help with the grim search efforts.

Tragically, the disaster claimed another life on Saturday… when Maldivian research diver, Sgt. Major Mohammed Mahudhi died while trying to find the missing tourists, bringing the total death toll to six.

Authorities say about 20 other Italian tourists were aboard the Duke of York yacht before the doomed excursion began Thursday… but they have since returned home to Italy after the tragic incident.