Rescuers uncover footage of Maldives divers' final moments after 'shark cave' horror

Rescuers have uncovered footage of Maldives divers' final moments following their horrific ordeal.

Recovery teams have handed over footage belonging to the five Italian divers who died in a Maldives underwater cave system last week.

Investigators are hoping the footage will shed light on their tragic final moments.

The GoPro cameras were retrieved by three specialist Finnish divers who recovered four of the bodies from the Devana Kandu cave complex, also known as "shark cave," near Vaavu Atoll.

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The group, comprising ecology professor Monica Montefalcone, her 22-year-old daughter Giorgia Sommacal, researcher Muriel Oddenino, marine biologist Federico Gualtieri, and diving instructor Gianluca Benedetti, failed to resurface after entering the water on May 14.

Four victims were discovered approximately 165 feet below the surface, roughly twice the legal diving depth permitted in the island nation.

Finnish divers, who carried out the recovery operation, believe they may have uncovered what went wrong during the fatal expedition.

Laura Marroni, the organisation's chief executive, revealed that the victims were discovered in a dead-end corridor within the cave complex

She added: "There was no way out from there."

The recovery team found the cave begins with a bright, sandy-bottomed cavern leading to a 30-metre corridor with a second chamber beyond.

A sandbank between these areas creates an optical illusion, appearing almost like a wall when viewed from inside, potentially concealing the correct exit route.

Using standard tanks at such depths, the Italian divers would have had roughly 10 minutes or less to explore the second chamber, Ms Marroni explained.

Realising they had taken the wrong path while running low on air would have been "terrifying," she added.

However, an alternative explanation has emerged from Alfonso Bolognini, president of the Italian Society of Underwater and Hyperbaric Medicine.

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He believes a powerful current may have dragged the group into the cave system via the Venturi effect, in which water forced through a narrow opening creates intense suction.

Mr Bolognini told Italian outlet Adnkronos: "Either everyone was sucked in, or one was sucked in and the others attempted a rescue."

Investigators are also examining whether Professor Montefalcone was wearing a wetsuit rather than appropriate deep-diving equipment.

Carlo Sommacal, husband of Professor Montefalcone and father of Giorgia, has dismissed suggestions that his wife acted recklessly.

He described her as "one of the best divers in the world" who had completed around 5,000 dives and would never have endangered their daughter.

He said: "Something must have happened down there. Maybe one of them ran into trouble, maybe the gas tanks, I have no idea."

The autopsy of diving instructor Benedetti has now commenced following his repatriation to Italy.

Rome's Prosecutor's Office has opened a manslaughter investigation into the deaths.

Authorities are also probing how the group was permitted to descend to nearly 200 feet, even though the Maldives restricts tourist diving to 98 feet.

The total death toll stands at six after Maldivian military diver Mohamed Mahudhee died from decompression illness during recovery efforts.

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