First pictures of Maldives deep-sea caves where Italian divers died | The Independent
independent.co.uk
This fatal Maldives cave dive reveals how overconfidence in familiar skills can turn a routine dive deadly — a textbook case of the Dunning-Kruger Effect meeting extreme risk.
Dunning-Kruger EffectOptimism BiasRisk Homeostasis Theory
Theory Briefing
- First images of the deep-sea caves show a disorienting, enclosed environment where even experienced divers can lose spatial awareness fast.
- Three Italian divers died in what is described as the worst diving accident in Maldives' history, suggesting systemic risk underestimation.
- Instructor Gianluca Benedetti's body was found outside the cave, hinting at a failed rescue attempt driven by optimism bias under crisis conditions.