Maldivian authorities have suspended the search for four Italian divers believed to be trapped inside an underwater cave in Vaavu Atoll after a Maldivian military diver died during a rescue operation. The search was halted on Saturday following the death of Mohamed Mahudhee, a member of the Maldivian National Defense Force, who succumbed to decompression sickness after being transferred to a hospital in the capital.

The group of five Italian divers is thought to have died while exploring a cave approximately 50 meters (160 feet) deep on Thursday. This depth exceeds the Maldives’ recreational diving limit of 30 meters (98 feet), raising concerns about the risks involved in the dive.

Authorities recovered the body of diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti near the cave entrance on Thursday, while the other four divers remain missing inside the cave system. The missing individuals have been identified as Monica Montefalcone, an associate professor of ecology at the University of Genoa; her daughter, Giorgia Sommacal; marine biologist Federico Gualtieri; and researcher Muriel Oddenino.

Montefalcone and Oddenino were in the Maldives on an official scientific mission to monitor marine environments and assess the effects of climate change on tropical biodiversity, according to a statement from the University of Genoa. However, the diving activity during which the accident occurred was not part of their official research and was conducted privately.

The Maldivian presidential spokesman, Mohamed Hussain Shareef, confirmed that President Mohamed Muizzu attended the funeral of Mahudhee on Saturday night, where the diver was honored for his service. Shareef remarked that the diver had participated in briefing the president on the rescue plans the previous day and emphasized the extreme danger involved in the mission.

Search efforts on Saturday involved eight local divers working in shifts amid challenging weather conditions that had frequently impeded the mission. Initial dive teams had previously identified and marked the entrance to the cave system in hopes of locating the missing divers.

Maldivian officials are awaiting the arrival of three Finnish divers on Sunday, who are specialists in deep and cave diving, to reassess the search strategy. The cause of the divers’ deaths remains under investigation.

Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani expressed condolences over the death of the Maldivian military diver and pledged that every effort would be made to recover the bodies of the missing Italians and return them home.