Twist of fate that saved sixth person in Maldives deadly diving expedition cave tragedy

The life of a sixth diver was spared in the Maldives cave tragedy after a young student decided against entering the water at the last minute. Five Italian nationals have been declared dead after the tragic scuba diving trip on Thursday morning. The victims who perished have been named as university professor Monica Montefalcone and her 20-year-old daughter Giorgia Sommacal. Muriel Oddenino, from Turin, also died along with Gianluca Benedetti from Padua, and Federico Gualtieri, who lived in Borgomanero, according to local reports. The Maldives' military has announced one body had been found in a cave 60m underwater. The other four divers, yet to be recovered, were believed to also be there. The incident occurred in Vaavu Atoll, where the ⁠group had been attempting to explore underwater caves at a depth of around 165ft. Rescue crews raced to the area at around 1.45pm local time after the group vanished during a dive near Alimathaa. Italy's foreign ministry did not give any ⁠details about the exact cause of the incident in a statement on Thursday night. The death toll could have been larger but for a twist of fate when the sixth member of the party, a student at the University of Genoa, stayed on board the Duke of York yacht. It is unclear why the woman decided against going in the water - but the change of heart probably saved her life. Police have launched an investigation into the tragedy as tributes are paid to the tragic divers in what is believed to be the worst single diving accident in the Indian Ocean nation. Italian news outlet La Repubblica suggest the divers may have become lost within an underwater cave due to the fact that none of them resurfaced. In a statement on X, the university said: "The University of Genoa expresses its deepest condolences for the sudden and tragic passing of Monica Montefalcone, her daughter Giorgia Sommacal, Muriel Oddenino, and Federico Gualtieri. Minister of University and Research Anna Maria Bernini says the news has rocked Genoa. She said on social media: "The tragedy that has struck the University of Genoa deeply shakes the entire Italian academic community. There are pains in the face of which words are not enough. "In this moment so dramatic, I extend my most sincere thoughts and my closeness to the families, to the Rector, to colleagues, to students, and to the entire Genoese university community, struck by a loss that leaves us dismayed." A large-scale search and rescue operation was launched by the Maldivian Coast Guard and the Maldives National Defense Force "A body has been found among the five divers who dived in Vaavu Atoll," they said in a statement to Italian news agency ANSA. "The body was found inside a cave. The other four divers are believed to be inside the same cave, which extends to a depth of approximately 60m." Weather conditions at the dive site were reportedly poor at the time of the incident. The ministry said an investigation had been launched by Maldivian authorities. It added that the Italian Embassy in Sri Lanka is in contact with the victims' families to provide consular assistance.