Finnish Divers Join Search for Dead Italian Scuba Divers in Maldives Caves
International Recovery Efforts in the Maldives
Arrival of Finnish Cave Divers
COLOMBO, May 18 (Reuters) - Three Finnish cave divers are joining efforts in the Maldives on Monday to try to find and recover the bodies of four Italian scuba divers who died in an accident in underwater caves, the DAN Europe divers' network said.
The team arrived on Sunday, DAN Europe said in a statement, after the incident in the Vaavu Atoll, where the Italian divers had been exploring caves at a depth of 50 metres (165 feet) on Thursday.
Details of the Incident
Recovery of the First Body
The body of one of the Italian divers was recovered on Friday, the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) said in a statement on Friday.
Search for Remaining Divers
"The body was recovered from about 60 metres deep from inside a cave structure. It is assumed that the rest of the divers would also be inside this cave which is about 200 feet in length," the statement said.
Collaboration and Challenges
Finnish Divers' Role
The Finnish divers -- Sami Paakkarinen, Jenni Westerlund and Patrik Grönqvist -- will work with the MNDF and other officials.
Risks and Suspension of Efforts
Death of MNDF Diver
A MNDF diver taking part in the search, Sergeant-major Mohamed Mahudhee, died on Saturday from decompression illness, prompting the MNDF to temporarily suspend the recovery effort which has been taking place in rough weather and sea conditions.
(Reporting by Uditha Jayasinghe: Editing by Neil Fullick)
