Maldives, who are the five Italians who died during a dive
One of the victims would be Monica Montefalcone, associate professor in Ecology at the University of Genoa. The other four Italians would be from Poirino, Milan, Genoa and Padua.
Following an accident during a diving trip, five compatriots have died in the Vaavu atoll in the Maldives. This was announced by the Farnesina, according to which the divers died after trying to explore some caves at a depth of 50 metres. The reconstruction of the accident is still being carried out by the Maldives authorities. One of the bodies has been recovered.
The Farnesina and the Embassy of Italy in Colombo have been following the case with the utmost attention since the first report; the Headquarters is contacting the victims' families to provide any necessary consular assistance. It is reported that the body recovered is that of Monica Montefalcone, an associate professor in Ecology at the University of Genoa, a well-known face also on TV, a researcher and marine environment expert. This was confirmed by the University of Genoa itself. The professor was known for her great love of the sea and for being responsible for a number of important marine projects such as Talassa, GhostNet and MER 'A16-A18'. Monica Montefalcone was in the Maldives as the coordinator of a research project together with other colleagues, including Distav research fellow at the University of Genoa Muriel Oddenino. According to an initial reconstruction, this underwater excursion to -50 metres was not related to the project.
The other four Italians would be Monica Montefalcone's daughter Giorgia Sommacal, Gianluca Benedetti from Padua, and Federico Gualtieri and Muriel Oddenino from Piedmont. Gianluca Benedetti was a diving instructor and boat manager. On the website of the tour operator for which he worked, it is explained that Gianluca, originally from Padua, after a long experience in the world of banking and finance, decided to explore new avenues and transform diving, a long-standing passion and work commitment already carried out for many years part-time in Italia, into a full-time activity. His first contact with the Maldives took place in 2017, which turned into a stay of about seven years, except for a brief Indonesian interlude. He is described as 'an energetic and extremely sporty person, a lover of reading, classic cinema and chess'. Muriel Oddenino, originally from Turin, was co-author of scientific research focused on the conservation of marine ecosystems. One of her last publications was on 'Temporal dynamics of Posidonia oceanica meadows in the Capo Mortola Marine Conservation Area'.
Federico Gualtieri, 31, was originally from Omegna. He had dedicated his degree thesis to the 'Diversity and Ecology of Corallimorphari and Zoanthari in the central atolls of the Maldives' and graduated last March from the University of Genoa in Marine Biology and Ecology. Several photos on his social profiles are dedicated to the atolls of the Maldives. "First and foremost, I would like to thank Professor Montefalcone," he wrote in his thesis acknowledgements, "for having offered me her help, her experience and for having always placed great trust in me and in this work. Since I met her, she has always been my guide, encouraging me to follow my dreams and passions, even if the road ahead was long or difficult'. Before arriving in Genoa, Gualtieri had taken a three-year degree in biological sciences at the University of Eastern Piedmont, in the Vercelli campus. The 31-year-old also worked as a Padi-certified diving instructor, the Professional Association of Diving Instructors.
The five tourists were on board the Duke of York, an underwater cruise boat operated by foreigners. They dived in the morning and were reported missing by the crew when they had not surfaced by noon.
