X-RAY MAGAZINE FEATURE

Maldives Recovery: Exclusive Interview With DAN Europe’s Laura Marroni and Sami Paakkarinen

It made headlines worldwide. Five Italian divers died in a cave in the Vaavu Atoll in the Maldives. On behalf of DUIKEN magazine (the biggest diving magazine of the Netherlands and Belgium), editor Patrick Kranenbroek spoke with Laura Marroni, CEO of DAN Europe, and Sami Paakkarinen, a member of the Finnish recovery team.

Words:
Interview by Patrick Kranenbroek
Images:
DAN Europe and Sami Paakkarinen
Team of Italian divers who died in a Maldives cave
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Tech and Training

The team of five Italian divers who died in a cave in the Maldives included (clockwise) Monica Montefalcone, an associate professor of ecology at the University of Genoa, her daughter Giorgia Sommacal, instructor Gianlunca Benedetti, researcher Muriel Oddenino and marine biologist Federico Gualtieri. 

 

Laura Marroni, CEO, DAN Europe

First of all, when DAN Europe became aware of the accident, what were the very first priorities in organising the rescue and recovery operation?

Maldives Cave Tragedy Probe Widens

Italian prosecutors are seeking dive equipment, cameras and records from the Maldives as investigators attempt to reconstruct the fatal cave dive that claimed six lives in May.

Cave diving tragedy in the Maldives
Tech and Training

The investigation into the Maldives cave-diving disaster that killed five Italian divers and one Maldivian rescuer is expanding, with Italian prosecutors formally requesting equipment, cameras and documentation from Maldivian authorities as part of an ongoing culpable manslaughter inquiry.

DAN-Led Recovery Mission Concludes After Maldives Cave Diving Tragedy

A week of coordinated search and recovery operations in the Maldives has concluded following the deaths of five Italian divers and a Maldivian rescue diver in a flooded cave system in Vaavu Atoll.

Patrik, Sami and Jenni
Tech and Training

DAN Europe and Maldivian authorities have released a detailed preliminary reconstruction of the recovery operation following the cave diving tragedy at Dhekunu Kandu, also known as Thinwana Kandu, in the Maldives.

Over four operational days between 18 and 21 May, an international recovery mission involving DAN Europe, the Maldives National Defence Force, Maldivian police diving units and a Finnish specialist cave-diving team successfully located and recovered all four missing divers from inside the cave system.

Specialist Cave Divers Locate Victims in Maldives Tragedy

Finnish cave divers have successfully located the remaining victims in the Maldives cave diving tragedy, highlighting the extreme complexity of deep overhead-environment recovery operations.

Sami Paakkarinen and Jenni Westerlund
Tech and Training

DAN Europe confirmed on 18 May that a specialist international search and recovery team successfully completed the first operational cave dive at the Dhekunu Kandu site in Vaavu Atoll, where five Italian divers died earlier this month.

According to DAN, the three-member recovery team located all four remaining missing victims during a technical cave penetration dive lasting approximately three hours.

Six Dead in Maldives Cave Diving Tragedy

Five Italian divers and a rescue diver have died following a cave diving accident in the Maldives, one of the deadliest diving incidents reported in the region in recent years.

Five Italian divers and a rescue diver have died following a cave diving tragedy in the Maldives, one of the deadliest incidents of its kind in recent years.
Tech and Training

Authorities in the Maldives confirmed that five Italian divers lost their lives during a cave dive, while a rescue diver later died during efforts to recover the bodies.

According to official statements and international news reports, the group became trapped inside an underwater cave system during a dive near Vaavu Atoll. Poor weather and difficult underwater conditions complicated the subsequent search-and-recovery operation.

Press Release
Received from: Emperor Divers

Emperor Divers Launch New Maldives Liveaboard

Emperor Divers

Emperor Divers is adding to its Maldives fleet with the launch of Emperor Explorer II, a brand-new flagship liveaboard and the largest vessel the company has operated in the region.

At 44 metres long, Explorer II has been designed with a focus on space, comfort and functionality. The layout across four decks creates a sense of openness, with large windows throughout bringing in natural light and offering stunning sea views.

Explorer II will begin sailing in August 2026, with her predecessor, Emperor Explorer, continuing to operate until the end of May.

Across Maldives: Pushing the Limits of Human Endurance, Technology and Marine Exploration

We are about to witness a world-first dive expedition. Starting from the northernmost point of the Maldives, Shaff Naeem's Across Maldives expedition will cover over 460 kilometers of open ocean, diving through selected locations in each atoll before reaching the southern tip.

Other features
Across Maldives Event

Initially planned in two phases, the first stage of the project was set to take place in February 2025, focusing on a world record attempt for the longest single DPV dive in the Greater Malé Region. However, due to technical issues, the team has made the strategic decision to merge Phase 1 and Phase 2 into a single groundbreaking expedition set for spring 2026. This project will now span the full length of the Maldives, from the northernmost point of Haa Alif Atoll to the southern edge of Seenu Atoll—over 460 kilometres of open ocean.

Press Release
Received from: Shaff Naeem

Shaff Naeem Announces “Across Maldives 2025” – A Record Dive Attempt at Diving Across the Entire Maldives

The expedition will start from the northernmost tip from Haa Alif Atoll, and span all the way to the southern edge of SeenuAtoll.

Organized by the Maldivian NGO Ocean 650, the dive is currently planned to start from the first week of February 2025. Shaff will be participating in two dives a day of up to 3 hours each, on a Diver Propulsion Vehicle (DPV) covering an average distance of 10-12 Km per dive.

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