Underwater tragedy in Maldives leaves families searching for answers after cave deaths

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2026 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. A snorkeler was swimming in the Maldives when a school of nurse sharks surrounded her. Sindy Claire Bondoc was exploring when the creatures approached. After five Italian divers died while exploring a deep underwater cave off the Maldives, families of the victims are demanding answers. Monica Montefalcone, 52, an associate ecology professor at the University of Genoa, and her daughter, Giorgia, 20, were among the dead, according to The Associated Press (AP). In an interview with local newspaper La Repubblica, Montefalcone's husband, Carlo Sommacal, said his wife "would never have put the life of our daughter or other kids at risk."MALDIVES MILITARY DIVER DIES SEARCHING FOR 4 ITALIAN DIVERS MISSING INSIDER UNDERWATER CAVE SYSTEM"My only certainty is that my wife is one of the best scuba divers on the face of the earth," Sommacal told the media outlet.