Female student's last-minute decision to abort dive saves her life as five Italian researchers die in Maldives cave tragedy

A female university student became the sole survivor of a diving expedition in the Maldives after she backed out at the last moment, as five of her companions died while exploring a deep-sea cave in the Indian Ocean nation's worst diving accident.

The group, led by University of Genoa marine ecology professor Monica Montefalcone, 51, entered a cave at the Vaavu Atoll's Alimatha Island on May 14 to research soft corals. The team included the professor's 20-year-old daughter, three other researchers and a diving instructor.

The student had already put on her full diving gear but suddenly changed her mind at the moment of entry and remained on the mother ship Duke of York. Her five companions never resurfaced.

Maldivian authorities recovered the instructor's body on the day of the accident at a depth of 60 metres. Expert divers from Finland located the remaining four bodies inside the cave's third and final chamber on Monday.

Mohamed Hussain Shareef, chief spokesperson at the Maldives president's office, said the government had granted the group a permit to research soft corals but did not know the expedition involved cave diving, which carries its own set of challenges and risks at that depth.

An Italian medical expert suggested oxygen toxicity could have been a factor, while others pointed to the extreme danger of diving at such depths on compressed air, where oxygen toxicity can theoretically begin at about 55 metres.

The boat operator said the vessel had permission for recreational diving up to 30 metres only. A Maldivian rescuer died last week while attempting to recover the bodies.

The surviving student, considered a key witness, has returned to Italy.

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