Italy presents highest civilian honor to family of MNDF soldier who died searching for missing divers

The Italian Government has posthumously awarded Sergeant First Class Mohamed Mahudhy of the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) its highest honor for bravery, in recognition of his sacrifice during an operation to rescue missing Italian tourists in Vaavu Atoll.

The award was presented at a special ceremony held at Hotel Barceló Nasandhura to commemorate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Maldives and Italy, as well as Italy’s 80th National Day.

The "Gold Medal for Civil Valor" was presented to Mahudhy’s family by Italy’s Ambassador to the Maldives, Damiano Francovigh, and Minister of Economic Development and Trade Mohamed Saeed.

Sergeant Mahudhy died on May 16 while taking part in a search and rescue operation for five Italian tourists who went missing on May 14 while diving in an underwater cave in Vaavu Atoll.

Mahudhy, an experienced diver, died from medical complications associated with decompression sickness.

The bodies of all five tourists were subsequently recovered from the underwater cave, bringing the death toll from the incident to six.