VAAVU ATOLL — Rescuers located the bodies of four Italian divers deep inside an underwater cave in Vaavu Atoll in the Maldives, four days after the group was reported missing. The bodies were spotted in the innermost part of the cave by three Finnish diving experts, supported by Maldives police and the military.

The four were found in the third segment of the cave, which is the largest part. The body of a fifth Italian, a diving instructor, had been found outside the cave earlier and identified as Gianluca Benedetti of Padua, the only diver whose remains have been recovered so far.

"The four were found pretty much together," said Maldives government spokesperson Ahmed Shaam. "The plan is they will try and recover two bodies tomorrow and possibly the other two the following day," he said.

The five Italians were exploring a cave at a depth of about 50 metres in Vaavu Atoll on Thursday, according to Italy's foreign ministry. The recreational diving limit in the Maldives is 30 metres. Five Italian scuba divers plunged 160 feet into the underwater cave. The remains still inside include those of Monica Montefalcone, a marine biology professor at the University of Genoa; her daughter Giorgia Sommacal; Muriel Oddenino; and Federico Gualtieri.

Searches resumed after being suspended following the death of a local military diver during a mission to reach the missing Italians. Sgt. Major Mohamed Mahudhee, a member of the Maldives National Defence Force, entered the water on Saturday with the goal of exploring the cave's third chamber but became ill during the excursion. He was rushed to a hospital in the capital and died of underwater decompression sickness, the formation of gas bubbles in the blood and tissues typically caused when a diver rises too quickly from the depths.

The Maldives National Defence Force wrote on X: "His courage, sacrifice, and service to the nation will always be remembered. Our deepest condolences to his family and colleagues." Mahudhee was filmed on Friday standing shoulder-to-shoulder with President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu as the rescue crew reviewed the day's plan. Muizzu was later towed by boat to the site of the cave to observe the task force clearing the second chamber.

Three Finnish divers, experts in deep and cave diving, arrived in the Maldives on Sunday. Initial teams dived to identify and mark the entrance to the cave system where the Italians disappeared, and the rescue crew worked in shifts to locate them. Rough weather repeatedly hampered rescue efforts. The cause of the divers' deaths remains under investigation.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said "Everything possible would be done to bring the victims home." Tajani said his ministry was coordinating with the Divers Alert Network.