Maldives to enact law on technical diving

The government is considering legislation on technical diving, with discussions now underway following the deaths of five Italian divers in an underwater cave in the Maldives.

The divers went missing during a dive in a cave and their bodies were later recovered by a team of technical divers from Finland.

Technical diving allows divers to go beyond the limits of recreational diving and requires specialised training and equipment.

Speaking at a press conference on Saturday afternoon, Government Spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef said technical diving requires equipment and experience at a different level from recreational diving. He said discussions had already begun on introducing legislation to regulate the activity.

“Rules should be established and regulated. We hope such a law can be introduced soon,” Shareef said.

He also said there are experienced divers among Maldivians who have the capability to carry out such operations.

The bodies of the Italian divers were recovered from the cave by the Finnish team and later sent to Italy. Authorities in both countries are investigating the incident.

Staff Sergeant Mohamed Mahudhee, a diver from the Maldives National Defence Force, died while taking part in the search operation. Maldives Police Service is investigating whether negligence contributed to his death.