Italy Posthumously Confers Highest Bravery Award on Late MNDF Diver Staff Sergeant Mahudhee
The Republic of Italy has posthumously conferred its highest gallantry decoration, the Gold Medal for Civil Valour, on the late Maldivian military diver Staff Sergeant Mohamed Mahudhee, honoring his ultimate sacrifice during a deep-sea rescue operation off Vaavu Atoll.
The honor was presented during an official diplomatic reception at Hotel Barceló Nasandhura in Malé, marking both the 60th anniversary of bilateral relations between the Maldives and Italy and Italy’s 80th National Day.
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Italian Ambassador to the Maldives Damiano Francovigh and Minister of Economic Development and Trade Mohamed Saeed jointly presented the medal in Mahudhee’s memory.
Staff Sergeant Mahudhee lost his life in May while attempting to locate four Italian tourists and their safari dive instructor, who went missing inside an underwater cave system at depths exceeding 58 meters off Vaavu Alimathaa.
During the high-risk descent, Mahudhee suffered severe decompression sickness. While military authorities reported that he succumbed while undergoing emergency treatment at ADK Hospital in Malé, questions have persisted concerning whether he had already died prior to arrival at the medical facility.
The initial recovery mission was halted following the incident. Authorities subsequently resumed operations with the assistance of three specialized technical cave divers flown in from Finland, who retrieved the victims’ remains.
The presentation of Italy’s premier civilian valor decoration comes amid ongoing domestic scrutiny over the operational conditions surrounding Mahudhee’s death.
Following public allegations of institutional negligence, the Maldives Police Service confirmed on 20 May that it had initiated a procedural inquiry into the events of the 16 May operation. Law enforcement officials noted at the time that the probe was launched proactively under protocols governing fatal operational incidents.
However, both the police and the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) have maintained silence on the matter, declining to provide public updates.
Operational shortcomings were previously addressed on state television by MNDF Brigadier General Mohamed Saleem, who conceded that personnel carried out the extreme-depth mission without adequate specialized cave-diving equipment, placing service members in acute danger.
Alongside the state decoration, the Italian Embassy in Colombo and Italy’s Honorary Consular Agency in Malé have initiated a humanitarian fundraising drive to support Mahudhee’s surviving family.
The mission has opened public contributions via a dedicated “Mahudhee Memorial Fund” account at the Maldives Islamic Bank, with donations open through the end of the year.
