Finnish divers join search for bodies of 4 Italian divers in the Maldives

World Finnish divers join the search for remains of 4 Italian divers in the Maldives May 17, 2026 / 7:47 AM EDT / AP Add CBS News on Google Three Finnish divers arrived in the Maldives Sunday to draw up a fresh plan in the search for the bodies of four Italian divers believed to be deep inside an underwater cave. The initial search was suspended after a local military diver died during a perilous mission to try to reach them. The group of five Italian divers is believed to have died while exploring a cave at a depth of about 160 feet, or 50 meters, in Vaavu Atoll on Thursday, according to Italy's Foreign Ministry. The recreational diving limit in the Maldives is 98 feet, or 30 meters.Maldives presidential spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef said the search was suspended after Mohamed Mahudhee, a member of the Maldivian National Defense Force, died of underwater decompression sickness after being transferred to a hospital in the capital on Saturday.Shareef said Sunday that three Finnish divers, experts in deep and cave diving, have arrived in the archipelago nation and joined the Maldives coastguard in a meeting aimed at mapping a new search strategy. Mahudhee was buried with military honors in a funeral attended by President Mohamed Muizzu on Saturday night. The diver was part of the group that had briefed Muizzu on the rescue plan when he visited the search site on Friday. Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu prays in front of the remains of military diver Mohamed Mahudhee, during his funeral in Male, Maldives, Saturday, May 16, 2026.  Mohamed Sharhaan via AP Rough weather has repeatedly hampered rescue efforts.Search operations on Saturday involved eight local divers who worked in shifts to locate the bodies, the Italian Foreign Ministry said. Initial teams had already dived to identify and mark the entrance to the cave system where the Italians disappeared. The cause of the deaths remains under investigation. Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said every...