Husband speaks out after both wife and daughter die in Maldives scuba tragedy
Topics: World News
Phoebe Tonks
Featured Image Credit: University of Genoa
Topics: World News
A grieving man who lost both his wife and daughter in Thursday’s scuba diving disaster, has broken his silence over the ordeal and even suggested what he thinks is the reason behind the tragedy.
Monica Montefalcone, a professor at the University of Genoa, as well as Giorgia Sommacal, her 20-year-old daughter, died after they vanished in the waters of Vaavu Atoll while attempting to explore a cave during the dive.
Muriel Oddenino, from Turin, Gianluca Benedetti of Padua, and Federico Gualtieri from Borgomanero also passed away after they failed to resurface from the dive.
"The divers are reported to have died while attempting to explore caves at a depth of 50 metres [164 feet]," Italy's foreign ministry said in a statement.
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For Montefalcone's husband, this information came as little comfort, instead prompting more questions and a theory that something untoward 'must' have taken place to lead to the loss of both his wife and daughter.
He told local newspaper La Repubblica that Monica "would never have put the life of our daughter or other kids at risk.”
“My only certainty is that my wife is one of the best scuba divers on the face of the earth,” he told the newspaper, according to the Times.
“Something must have happened,” he also alleged during a separate interview with an Italian television station, as per AP.
As of Friday, only one body has so far been recovered from the water, but authorities believe the remaining four are still in the area, the BBC reported.
Officials have said the area where the tourists were diving, which is roughly 60 miles south of the Maldives capital Malé, was experiencing volatile weather at the time, with strong winds of up to 30mph.
These same conditions meant recovery operations were temporarily halted on Friday due to turbulent seas, but are expected to resume on Saturday May 16 when weather conditions are set to improve.
Originally, there were a further 20 passengers who set out to sea alongside the five fatalities, yet unlike their tragic counterparts, they chose not to dive, effectively saving their lives.
"Due to adverse weather conditions, it is not yet clear whether they will be able to reach the vessel in distress, which has in the meantime moved in search of a safe harbour," officials from Italy’s foreign ministry said in a statement. "The vessel is awaiting an improvement in weather conditions in order to return to Malé.”
Additionally, an investigation has been launched into the circumstances surrounding the heartbreaking loss of life. This remains ongoing.