Rescue diver dies during search for bodies in Maldives scuba tragedy that left 5 tourists dead

A rescue diver has lost his life while searching for the bodies of five Italian divers who died in a cave diving accident while in the Maldives earlier this week.

Staff Sergeant Mohamed Mahdhee, a member of the Maldivian military, was taken to hospital in critical condition after diving as part of the search and rescue operation in Vaavu Atoll.

He later succumbed to his injuries, a government spokesman confirmed to the BBC today.

The news comes days after five Italian nationals lost their lives while attempting to explore an underwater cave system at a depth of about 50 metres in the Vaavu Atoll, around 100km south of the Maldivian capital Malé.

It is the deadliest diving incident in the country's history.

The scuba tragedy is thought to be the worst in the islands' history (Mohamed Afrah / AFP via Getty Images)

Who were the Italian divers who died in the Maldives?

The victims, who were diving from a live-aboard vessel called the Duke of York, included marine biology professor Monica Montefalcone, her daughter Giorgia, marine biologist Federico Gualtieri, University of Genoa researcher Muriel Oddenino, and diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti.

The university confirmed the dive was not part of any official scientific mission.

So far, only one of the five bodies has been recovered, found inside a cave at a depth of around 60 meters. Recovery efforts have been severely hampered by rough seas, with the operation suspended at points over the past two days before resuming on Saturday.

Maldivian Government spokesman Mohamed Hussain Shareef said recreational scuba divers were only allowed to dive up to a depth of 30m and it was not clear why the Italians went into a cave that's 60m under water.

The search for the remaining four divers has been hampered by poor weather conditions (Mohamed Afrah / AFP via Getty Images)

Have the bodies of the Italian divers been recovered?

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani confirmed ongoing efforts to bring the victims home, saying everything possible would be done despite the difficult conditions.

The loss of Staff Sergeant Mohamed Mahdhee has added a further layer of grief to an operation already being conducted under extraordinary risk.

Cave diving at depth is considered among the most technically demanding and dangerous forms of diving in the world, requiring specialist training and equipment far beyond standard scuba qualifications.

A sixth member of the Italian group, a female University of Genoa student, had decided at the last moment to not enter the water on the day of the accident. She has been assisting investigators looking into the cause of the deaths, which remain under investigation.

Staff Sgt Mohamed Mahdhee died in the rescue effort (Maldives Government)

How did the Italian divers die?

While the cause of the Italian divers' death remains under investigation, experts have pointed to several possible factors. Diving specialists suspect oxygen toxicity may have played a role, at depths of around 50 meters, oxygen can become toxic if breathing gas mixture is not correctly calibrated.

Experts have also noted that panic inside confined cave environments can quickly escalate into fatal situations, with one specialist warning that even a minor technical issue at such depths could trigger a chain reaction.

The one body recovered so far was found with an empty tank in the second of three connected caves, and a yellow weather warning had been in place on the day of the dive, with rough seas and strong currents at the site.

More on this as we get it..