The Maldives National Defence Force, MNDF, says one of its rescue divers has died while searching for the missing divers who vanished while exploring an underwater cave in Vaavu Atoll last Thursday.
MNDF identified the soldier as Staff Sergeant Mohamed Mahudhee. He was one of the soldiers who briefed President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu yesterday when he visited the diving site to assess the ongoing operation.
The Staff Sergeant was rushed to the ADK hospital following a dive, and MNDF later confirmed that the soldier had passed away. The deceased had likely suffered Decompression Sickness (DCS).
Decompression sickness (DCS), often called "the bends," is a potentially life-threatening condition caused by dissolved gases (usually nitrogen) forming bubbles in your bloodstream and tissues. It typically occurs when there is a rapid drop in the surrounding pressure, most commonly when a scuba diver ascends too quickly
Five divers who went to explore an underwater cave at a depth of 60 ft were reported missing last Thursday. The body of one of the divers was discovered on Thursday, and the other four remain missing as authorities suspect that they were stuck in the 200ft long cave.
All five divers were Italian nationals.
