Cape Cod locals are raising their voices against a proposal to situate a homeless shelter just 150 yards from an elementary school. Concerns are mounting over the possibility that shelter occupants would be required to vacate the premises each morning precisely as children begin arriving at school.

In a recent meeting held on May 6, the Barnstable School Committee decided to express their unease formally. They voted to send a letter addressing the proposed relocation of the St. Joseph’s House homeless shelter in Hyannis, Massachusetts. The new location is a mere five-minute walk from a local elementary school, as reported by the Cape Cod Times.

The plan, orchestrated by Housing Assistance Corporation and Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Fall River, has sparked concerns among residents. The primary issue is that the shelter’s residents might be compelled to leave the facility at 7 a.m., coinciding with the time when elementary students are making their way to school.

“The individuals are being made to leave each day precisely when schools are bustling and businesses are open. It’s not going to be any more effective here than it was before,” stated Town Councilor Betty Ludtke in an interview with Boston 25.

The current St. Joseph’s House is located on Winter Street in Hyannis. (Cape Cod Times-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn images)

Rick Brigham, who has worked at the St. Joseph’s House for 27 years, shares the same concerns regarding the shelter’s proximity to an elementary school.

“They’re out on the street trying to survive,” Brigham said. “It’s not only problematic for the community, the business owners, the residents, it’s problematic for the neighbors in need.”

Rick Brigham, left, John and Stacey Kimball say the move of St. Joseph’s Home relocation to West Main Street would negatively impact that area. (Merrily Cassidy/Cape Cod Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

“The impact is tremendous, but there’s a different way to do this,” Brigham added.

John Kimball, who owns Steve Sue’s Par-Tee Freeze on Hyannis’ Main Street, also shared his concerns about the homeless shelter opening across the street from his business.

“My job is to make people happy, and we have the mini golf, and we have the ice cream, what better environment to make people happy in?” Kimball said. “I worry about not only the business. I mean, that’s how it all started, but then you start getting into and understanding the program, and I start getting concerned for the area.”

Notably, Hyannis is where former President John F. Kennedy had a house and was dubbed the “Summer White House.”

Even though zoning laws don’t allow for the creation of a homeless shelter in the area where plans are underway for construction, the groups behind the effort obtained a building permit.

Ludtke said the groups were able to work around the zoning laws because of a religious exemption.

Hyannis is the largest of the seven villages in the town of Barnstable, Massachusetts, in the United States. (DenisTangeyJr/Getty Images)

The Housing Assistance Corporation and Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Fall River, that are behind the relocation effort, tried to address community concerns in a statement.

“We understand the concerns of the community, but we have a well-designed security plan in place that protects guests and the community. The existing shelter is near schools and bus stops, and there have been no concerns over the many years it has been in operation,” the groups said.

Barnstable School Committee member Mike Judge, who claims to be “well-versed with homeless shelters,” said he’s worried about the potential that more security will have to be hired.

“I can see a lot of huge financial problems with this,” Judge said at the May 6 meeting.

Life’s definitely better by the beach.

Kendall Jenner enjoyed a sun-soaked beach outing with Jacob Elordi in Hawaii this past weekend.

The star of “The Kardashians” donned a bikini and sunglasses while lounging on a towel beside the “Euphoria” actor, who was shirtless, according to a photo shared by TMZ.

Jenner appeared to be holding a bottle of wine as they chatted on the secluded beach.

Elordi, sporting swim shorts and a baseball cap, seemed intently engaged in the supermodel’s conversation.

Last Friday, Deuxmoi posted photos of Jenner, 30, and Elordi, 28, at Nourish Hanalei on the island of Kaua’i, Hawaii.

In one image, the reality star could be seen walking up to the counter of the family-run farm, while the “Frankenstein” actor was spotted lounging against a car on the property.

Per the gossip site, fans who ran into the couple while on the island said they were “so cute together.”

Jenner and Elordi first sparked dating rumors last month when reports surfaced that they were “making out” and “all over each other” at Justin Bieber’s afterparty during Coachella’s first weekend.

However, the Daily Mail reported that the “Kissing Booth” actor and 818 Tequila founder started dating back in February — thanks to Kendall’s sister Kylie Jenner.

“Kylie was around Jacob a lot during [her boyfriend] Timothée [Chalamet’s] award season marathon because Jacob was nominated for ‘Frankenstein’ and Timothée was nominated for ‘Marty Supreme,’” a source told the outlet.

“Kylie liked him and thought he would be good for Kenny so she was like, ‘Girl, get on it. Date this guy already,’” the insider added.

The source shared that Kendall had known Elordi for years but that Kylie was instrumental in getting him out of the “friend zone.”

Last month, a source exclusively told Page Six that Kendall was initially “hesitant” to strike up a romance with Elordi “because of the friendship” they share.

“They’ve known each other forever and run in the same circles,” the insider told us, noting that while the two have been around each other for years, their dynamic has “definitely shifted recently.”

“They’ve actually been spending time together for a couple months now, just keeping it quiet,” the source explained.

“They’ve just been hanging out more and seeing where it goes.”

Kendall has dated a plethora of A-listers, including Bad Bunny, NBA star Devin Booker and Harry Styles.

Meanwhile, Elordi also has an expansive dating history, which includes influencer Olivia Jade Giannulli, model Kaia Gerber, his “Euphoria” co-star Zendaya and his “Kissing Booth” castmate Joey King.

Luigi Mangione achieved a partial legal win on Monday when a judge dismissed certain evidence from his arrest. However, the court ruled that the jury will be permitted to examine his alleged ‘manifesto’ and the 9mm ghost gun during his murder trial.

Judge Gregory Carro determined that the jury will have access to a notebook discovered in Mangione’s backpack. In this notebook, the Ivy League graduate purportedly expressed a desire to ‘whack’ a prominent figure in the health insurance sector.

Additionally, the judge decided that the 9mm ‘ghost gun’, suspected to be the murder weapon and also found in Mangione’s backpack, will be admitted as evidence.

Conversely, other items, including a magazine of bullets wrapped in underwear, a cellphone, passport, and wallet, will not be presented to the jury.

The judge also ruled that Mangione’s remarks to a prison guard in Pennsylvania, where he admitted to having a 3-D printed gun in his backpack, are admissible in court.

As the ruling was read out Mangione, who was wearing a suit as he sat at a bench with his lawyers, did not appear to react. 

The mixed ruling is both a win and a setback for Mangione in his New York state case over the alleged fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson outside a hotel in Manhattan in December 2024.

Mangione, who turned 28 earlier this month, has pleaded not guilty to murder in the second degree and to weapons charges along with possession of a forged instrument.

Luigi Mangione appeared in court on Monday as a judge ruled on whether key evidence from his arrest can be shown to jurors

Mangione, pictured in a court sketch in April, is accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson in December 2024

He is due to go on trial in September.

Late last year, Judge Carro held a nine-day hearing to determine what evidence could be allowed after Mangione’s lawyers claimed his constitutional rights against illegal search and seizure were violated.

They claimed that police in Altoona, Pennsylvania, did not have a warrant to search Mangione when he was arrested at a McDonald’s in the town five days after the December 4 shooting.

Among the contents of the bag was a red notebook which prosecutors called a ‘manifesto’ while Mangione’s lawyers have referred to it as a ‘journal.’

Writing in October 2024, Mangione said he wanted to ‘whack’ the chief executive of an insurance company at its annual ‘bean counter conference’.

Six weeks later Thompson, 59, a father-of-two, was shot outside the Hilton Midtown during a UnitedHealthcare conference.

During Monday’s hearing, Judge Carro told the court that police officers in Altoona conducted an ‘improper, warrantless search’ of Mangione at the local McDonald’s where he was arrested.

As a result, items allegedly recovered during that search – including a magazine of bullets, a cellphone, passport, and wallet – will not be allowed in as evidence.

However, the judge found that once Mangione was taken to the police station, officers carried out a ‘valid inventory search’, the judge said.

That means the 9mm gun, silencer, and the manifesto, which were discovered at the police station, will be allowed to be present at trial. 

Judge Gregory Caro will rule on whether prosecutors can show the jury the contents of Mangione’s backpack when he was arrested in December 2024. A backpack recovered by police in Central Park during the investigation

The 28-year-old Ivy League graduate was charged with murder in the second degree and weapons charges along with possession of a forged instrument, all of which he denies, over the death of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson

The judge also ruled that any statements made by Mangione before he was technically in custody were not admissible.

The judge ruled that the cutoff was eight minutes after the first officers spoke to Mangione.

Up until that point, Mangione admitted to one cop that he shouldn’t have given him a fake ID with the name ‘Mark Rosario’ on it.

That admission will not be allowed as evidence, the judge ruled.

Monday’s hearing drew a crowd of supporters of Mangione outside the courthouse. 

Speaking after the ruling, one supporter, Shelby Syed, 32, a med student, said: ‘I don’t think it’s fair, but it’s out of my hands.

‘If you’re going to dismiss the (evidence) found in the McDonald’s why don’t you dismiss the evidence found in the police station?

‘He can still win the case because he’s innocent. It’s a little setback but we’re going to keep on fighting.’ 

According to prosecutors, a journal entry from October 2024 allegedly described the investor conference  as ‘a true windfall.’ 

The journal stated: ‘It embodies everything wrong with our health system’.

In another entry from August 2024, Mangione allegedly wrote: ‘I finally feel confident about what I will do. The details are coming together.

‘And I don’t feel any doubt about whether it’s right/justified. I’m glad-in a way-that I’ve procrastinated bc it allowed me to learn more about (UnitedHealthcare).

UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was gunned down on his way to a conference in  Manhattan in 2024

CCTV footage release by NYPD at the time showed the suspect, Mangione, leaving the scene with a backpack on a bike 

‘The target is insurance. It checks every box.’

The other items in the backpack included a 9mm ‘ghost gun’, or a 3D printed firearm with no serial number, a loaded gun magazine wrapped in a pair of underwear and silencer.

Police who arrested Mangione said that the bullets in the magazine convinced them he was the killer.

According to prosecutors, the bullets used to kill Thompson had the words ‘delay’, ‘deny’ and ‘depose’ written on them in reference to the language used to deny health insurance claims.

Mangione recently caught a break in the separate federal case, which is taking place in New York in a courtroom a few blocks from the state court.

US District Judge Margaret M. Garnett dismissed four of the federal counts including murder through the use of a firearm and a related firearms offense.

Critically, the dismissal of the murder charge meant Mangione is no longer eligible for the death penalty.

Mangione still faces two counts of interstate stalking, which carry a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole.

The federal case is due to go on trial next year once the state matter is concluded.

Mangione is currently being held at the grim Metropolitan Detention Center, a federal prison in Brooklyn whose previous inmates included R. Kelly and Diddy.

Ahead of his hearing on Monday, Judge Garnett ordered the Bureau of Prisons to make sure Mangione could wear civilian clothes.

She said that he has to be given a suit, one shirt, a pair of socks and a pair of shoes, but no laces.

The Supreme Court announced on Monday that it will not review the case of a suburban Chicago teacher who was terminated following controversial Facebook posts made in response to the 2020 police killing of George Floyd.

Jeanne Hedgepeth, a long-time educator at Palatine High School in Illinois, faced dismissal after posting provocative comments on social media during her summer vacation in Florida. The posts, which were critical of the protests sparked by Floyd’s death in Minneapolis, included statements about potentially needing “a gun and training” due to an alleged “civil war” and a repost suggesting the use of high-pressure washers on demonstrators.

The school district categorized Hedgepeth’s posts as “disrespectful, demeaning of other viewpoints, and racist.” Hedgepeth, however, contends that her termination infringed on her right to free speech.

“In any other scenario, such overt discrimination of viewpoints by government officials would be unacceptable,” her legal team argued. “Yet, because Hedgepeth was a public employee, the Seventh Circuit concluded that the First Amendment does not prevent the government from dismissing her based on expressions made off-duty on subjects unrelated to her professional responsibilities.”

“In any other context, such blatant viewpoint discrimination by government officials would be a nonstarter,” her lawyers wrote. “But because Hedgepeth is a public employee, the Seventh Circuit held that the First Amendment does not bar the government from firing her based on the views she expressed in off-the-job speech on topics unrelated to her work.” 

The school district has argued that the incident was only the final straw.  

In filings to the Supreme Court, the district wrote that Hedgepeth started to struggle with “appropriately moderating her interactions with students” immediately following the 2016 presidential election.  

The teacher had already been suspended twice for “profane outbursts” at students by the time her employment was terminated, the school said.  

Ultimately, the school district received 113 emails about Hedgepeth’s posts — some of which had multiple signatories, according to court filings.  

“Petitioner frames this case as presenting broad questions concerning off-campus speech and ‘cancel culture,’” wrote the school district’s lawyers. “In fact, the Seventh Circuit’s fact-specific assessment of the summary-judgment record adheres to this Court’s long-established precedent and has little import beyond Petitioner’s individual case.” 

On Sunday, a helicopter from the Santa Barbara County Fire Department carried out a crucial evacuation of 11 National Park Service employees from Santa Rosa Island. This emergency response came as a wildfire, ignited by human activity, rapidly spread over 10,000 acres, posing a significant threat to the employee housing on the island.

In a statement shared on social media platform X, the Santa Barbara County Fire Department detailed the operation: “Helicopter 964 was instrumental in evacuating 11 National Park Service employees from Santa Rosa Island today, amidst the ongoing vegetation fire. The crew efficiently transported all personnel from housing areas at risk of being isolated by the fire to Oxnard Airport. Fortunately, no injuries have been reported.”

This prompt response underscores the commitment to safeguarding the park staff as they face the challenges posed by the wildfire.

The incident unfolded as firefighting teams continued their efforts against the wind-driven blaze on the isolated Channel Islands National Park. According to reports, the fire destroyed two structures and was not yet under control as of Sunday evening, as covered by the Los Angeles Times.

Accompanying this report, images from the Santa Barbara County Fire Department capture the helicopter crew’s critical efforts to safely evacuate National Park Service employees from the endangered areas. This operation highlights the ongoing risks faced by those living and working in such vulnerable environments.

The fire, burning on the south side of Santa Rosa Island between Ford Point and South Point, had been mapped at 10,025 acres by Sunday afternoon, according to Cal Fire. The National Park Service, which has jurisdiction over the incident, has described the fire as human-caused and under investigation.

The smoke from the island fire blew east to the California coast and will be impacting air quality early this week, the National Weather Service in San Diego reported.

“If you’ve smelled smoke today, you’re not imagining things,” NWS San Diego wrote Sunday on X. “Smoke from the Santa Rosa Islands Fire has been drifting towards our region. The HRRR model shows near-surface smoke through at least Tuesday, assuming the fire continues.”

The agency advised the public to monitor air quality at http://airnow.gov.

The blaze also poses an ecological threat on Santa Rosa Island, the second-largest of the Channel Islands and home to rare plants and animals. Park officials said the fire is threatening six plant species native to the island that are found nowhere else in the world, while the island also supports wildlife including island foxes, spotted skunks and elephant seals.

About 70 firefighters and park rangers were battling the fire Sunday night, according to the Times.

The island, located about 26 miles off Santa Barbara, has been closed to visitors at least through this week as crews continue suppression efforts.

In a significant move, President Trump has opted to withdraw his hefty $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) after reaching an agreement that includes a formal apology and the creation of a substantial compensation fund. This newly established fund, amounting to $1,776,000,000 billion, is designed to support individuals who feel they have been victims of federal government overreach.

The Justice Department’s Anti-Weaponization Fund will be accessible to anyone who believes they have been unfairly targeted by any administration. This includes individuals involved in the events of January 6, 2021, at the Capitol, as well as figures like Hunter Biden, who has faced public scrutiny, according to information shared by a senior administration official with The Post.

The official emphasized that the fund’s purpose is not to create wealth for those involved in the January 6 incident. Rather, it aims to provide rightful compensation, helping individuals reclaim their dignity and cover expenses such as legal fees that arose from their experiences.

While President Trump, along with his sons Don Jr. and Eric, and the Trump Organization, were part of the initial lawsuit against the IRS, they will not receive any financial compensation from this fund. However, they will be granted a formal apology.

This settlement specifically addresses the IRS lawsuit and does not impact President Trump’s other legal pursuits, including claims regarding the FBI’s raid on his Mar-a-Lago estate in August 2022 or the investigation into alleged collusion during his 2016 presidential campaign with the Russian government.

Upon Trump’s return to office in January 2025, he vowed to end the weaponization of the government, saying in his second inaugural addres: “Never again will the immense power of the state be weaponized to persecute political opponents — something I know something about.”

The settlement comes as Trump and the Justice Department faced a deadline this week to justify why the case should proceed.

Among the considerations for restitution from the fund are the strength of the claim, the actions of the claimant, the attorney fees incurred, and to what extent the claimant has already obtained any form of relief.

Hunter Biden was convicted of federal tax and gun charges and later pardoned by his father President Joe Biden. However, the younger Biden accumulated millions in legal fees and the law firm representing him is still seeking payment.

“I potentially expect it,” the official said when asked if Hunter Biden could file a claim. “Whether the commissioners will agree with that, and feel like he needs to be compensated, is something that, I think we’ll have to see.”

The official notes the settlement doesn’t specify that a claimant has to be a Republican or a target of a certain administration. Both individual and entities can apply.

“We didn’t limit it in that way, because we really viewed it as, and actually this is what the president has said, which is that the Department of Justice was used as a weapon for reasons that are totally wrong, and if Hunter Biden believes that the Department of Justice was used as a weapon against him, he’s allowed to apply.”

The fund will have five board members — all of whom are appointed by acting AG Todd Blanche — and one who will be picked in consultation with Congressional leaders. The president can remove board members without cause.

“The whole point of why we’re doing this is because weaponization comes in many different forms, and having five commissioners, who kind of bring their own unique perspective to how to remedy it, was really our goal,” the administration official said.

Blanche has not yet decided on his appointments, according to a senior administration official, with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) to be consulted in the days.

The board can issue apologies and monetary relief or request more information, including from the claimant and any relevant agencies. 

The claims it approves will be subject to FOIA laws and federal audits and must be reported to the attorney general. 

The fund will sunset Dec. 15, 2028, with any remaining money reverting to the federal government. 

There is precedent for the establishment of such a fund. In 2010, the Obama administration settled the Keepseagle v. Vilsack class-action lawsuit brought by Native American farmers by establishing a $680 million compensation fund along with granting up to $80 million in farm loan debt forgiveness.

The Trumps filed the lawsuit against the IRS on Jan. 29, charging the government failed to protect their confidential tax returns, which were leaked to the New York Times in 2019. 

Chaz Littlejohn, an IRS contractor, pleaded guilty to one count of unauthorized disclosure and was sentenced to five years in prison in January 2024.

Littlejohn also leaked the tax documents of thousands of other wealthy Americans, some of whom have also sued the federal government, to ProPublica.

The diving expert who guided the group of Italians that tragically met their end in the Maldives’ sea caves was found separately from the other four victims during a search operation conducted on Monday.

This heartbreaking incident occurred on Thursday, claiming the lives of five individuals, including a mother and her daughter, as they attempted to explore underwater caves reaching depths of approximately 165 feet. It marks the deadliest diving accident in the history of this small Indian Ocean nation.

On Friday, the body of Gianluca Benedetti, the group’s instructor, was retrieved from the entrance of the Thinwana Kandu cave, commonly referred to as Shark Cave, at a depth of about 197 feet.

It wasn’t until Monday that three elite divers from Finland were able to locate the remaining members of the group. They were discovered at the end of a tunnel, deep within the second chamber of the cave.

The cave system consists of three expansive chambers linked by narrow passageways. While two chambers were explored on Friday, the initial search efforts were hampered by concerns over oxygen levels and decompression safety.

An initial search operation for the victims ended in tragedy on Saturday when Maldivian military rescue diver Mohamed Mahudhee was admitted to hospital and died from decompression sickness after assisting in the recovery effort.

As well as Benedetti, the other victims of the diving group have been identified as Monica Montefalcone, an associate professor of ecology at the University of Genoa; her daughter, Giorgia Sommacal; marine biologist Federico Gualtieri and researcher Muriel Oddenino. 

This photograph, shared by the Maldives President’s Media Division, shows divers preparing to search for the four missing Italian divers near Alimathaa Island, Vaavu Atoll, Maldives, Saturday, May 16, 2026

One of the victims was named as Monica Montefalcone, a professor and researcher at the University of Genoa

Giorgia Sommacal, 22, Montefalcone’s daughter, also died

The Italian tour operator that managed the diving trip has denied authorising or being aware of the deep dive that violated local limits, its lawyer told Italian daily Corriere della Sera on Saturday.

Orietta Stella, representing Albatros Top Boat, said the operator ‘did not know’ the group planned to descend beyond 30 meters. 

That threshold requires special permission from Maldivian maritime authorities, and the tour operator ‘would have never allowed it,’ she said.

The dive far exceeded what was planned for a scientific cruise focused on coral sampling at standard depths, Stella added.

The victims were experienced divers, but the equipment used appeared to be standard recreational gear rather than technical equipment suited for deep cave excursions, she said. 

The Finnish divers – Sami Paakkarinen, Jenni Westerlund and Patrik Grönqvist – worked alongside the MNDF and other officials in the rescue mission.

Following the death of rescue diver Sergeant-major Mahudhee during Saturday’s search operation, the MNDF temporarily suspended the recovery effort, which has been taking place in rough weather and sea conditions.

‘The death goes to show the difficulty of the mission,’ the Maldives’ presidential spokesman, Mohamed Hussain Shareef, said.

The Maldivian military added in an X post: ‘His courage, his sacrifice, and service to the nation will always be remembered.

‘Our deepest condolences to his family and colleagues.’

Shareef said the searchers had prepared a plan based on their progress exploring the cave on Friday.

Shareef said Benedetti’s body was found near the mouth of the cave, and authorities believed the remaining four had entered it.

The Italian Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, said everything possible would be done to bring the victims home.

His ministry stated it was coordinating with Divers Alert Network, a specialist diving organisation, to support recovery operations and the repatriation of the bodies.

However, the mystery continues to surround the cause of death. 

Authorities have launched an investigation to understand what happened, while several theories are being considered.

Montefalcone, 51, was a respected marine biologist, TV personality, and professor of Tropical Marine Ecology and Underwater Science at the University of Genoa. Her daughter, Giorgia, was 22 years old.

Montefalcone’s husband and Giorgia’s father, Carlo Sommacal, said on Friday that footage taken on a GoPro camera could reveal the mystery surrounding their deaths.

Speaking to Italian news outlet La Repubblica, a devastated Sommacal said: ‘Monica usually had a GoPro when she went diving.

‘I don’t know if she had one the other day. If they find it, maybe from there we can understand what happened.’

He also insisted that ‘my wife [was] among the best divers on earth,’ and said she wouldn’t have put anyone in the group in danger.

Muriel Oddenino, a victim of the diving incident, was also a researcher at the University of Genoa

Gianluca Benedetti of Padua was named as one of the people who died on the dive

Federico Gualtieri who died in the Maldives diving tragedy 

Elite diver Sami Paakkarinen was flown to the Maldives to help locate the bodies of the Italians

Elite diver also Jenni Westerlund joined the search and recovery operation on Sunday

Patrik Grönqvist was the third Finnish diver to assist in recovery efforts

‘She would never have put our daughter’s life or that of others at risk… something must have happened down there,’ he said.

‘Maybe one of them had trouble, maybe the oxygen tanks, I have no idea.’

Montefalcone had survived the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami when it struck the Maldives. 

Sommacal added that one of the divers on the expedition, Benedetti, was ‘meticulous.’

‘He checked everything: the tanks, the weather conditions. He’s not a fool,’ Sommacal said. ‘It must have been fate; they took every precaution possible.’

The grief-stricken father revealed that his daughter Giorgia was going to graduate from university next month and said he and his wife had been planning a party for her.

Victim Oddenino, a 31-year-old marine biologist and ecologist, was Montefalcone’s colleague.

She was an experienced diver and authored scientific publications. She was described by a loved one as ‘sweet and sensitive’.

Benedetti, 44, was an operations manager, a diving instructor and a boat captain.

After working in banking and finance for several years, he turned his passion for diving into a full-time career and moved to the Maldives in 2017.

He was the operations manager and skipper aboard the luxury Duke of York, the diving yacht that the group used for their expedition.

He was described by Albatros Top Boat, the Duke of York’s operator, as ‘energetic, extremely sporty, and a lover of reading, classic cinema, and chess.’

Speaking about her son’s death, Benedetti’s mother told Italian news outlet Gazzettino: ‘I heard the news from the embassy. I can’t say anything, and you can only imagine the pain.’

Gualtieri, 31, was a scuba diving instructor and had recently graduated from the University of Genoa with a degree in marine biology and ecology.

He had previously praised his professor, Montefalcone, saying: ‘Ever since I met her, she has always been my guide, encouraging me to follow my dreams and passions.’

Sergeant Major Mohammed Mahudhee, a diver for the Maldives coast guard, lost his life as recovery operations continued in the Vaavu Atoll on Saturday

Members of the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) take part in a search and recovery operation in the Vaavu Atoll, Maldives, on Saturday

The body of scuba diving instructor Benedetti was recovered from a cave on Friday

Cave diving is a highly technical and dangerous activity that requires specialised training, equipment and strict safety protocols.

Risks increase sharply in environments where divers cannot head straight up and at depth, particularly when conditions are poor.

Experts say it is easy to become disoriented or lost inside caves, particularly as sediment clouds can sharply reduce visibility.

Diving at 50 meters also exceeds the maximum depth recommended for recreational divers by most major established scuba certifying agencies, with depths beyond 40 meters considered technical diving and requiring specialised training and equipment.

Shareef said that the cave ‘is so deep that even divers with the best equipment do not try to approach.’

‘There will be a separate investigation into how these divers went below the permitted depth, but our focus right now is on the search and rescue,’ he added.

Authorities have not ruled out several scenarios, with police probing whether bad weather may have affected the divers’ visibility.

According to Italian news outlet La Repubblica, the fact that none of the five divers managed to resurface suggests the group may have become lost within an underwater cave.

With little light and poor visibility due to bad weather, they may have lost their bearings, panicked, and perhaps run out of air while trying to find their way out.

Police also haven’t ruled out the possibility that one of the five may have become stuck while the others ran out of air or panicked trying to free their colleague.

Diving experts have also been speculating on various hypotheses.

According to local media, one of the most widely accepted hypotheses by the coast guard and experts is oxygen toxicity. 

This phenomenon occurs if the tank’s mixture is inadequate, making oxygen toxic at certain depths.

The five Italians had boarded the Duke of York (above), a foreign-operated live-aboard diving vessel, and they disappeared near Alimathaa

‘At 50 meters of depth in the sea, there are several risks; it’s a real tragedy,’ says Alfonso Bolognini, president of the Italian Society of Underwater and Hyperbaric Medicine.

‘There are several hypotheses we can make right now: an inadequate breathing mix can create a hyperoxic crisis when there’s an increase in the partial pressure of oxygen in the tissues and blood plasma, which can cause neurological problems.

‘Inside a cave at 50 meters of depth, all it takes is a problem for a diver or a panic attack for a diver,’ he adds, saying that ‘the agitation causes the water to become cloudy and can impair visibility.

‘In these cases, the panic component could lead to even fatal errors.’ 

It is also unclear whether the Italians’ dive, being at a depth of over 160ft, was regulated, according to the Maldives National Defence Force.

Meanwhile, it has been revealed that there was no local guide to accompany the group into the cave, as required by Maldivian law.

Investigators are also trying to determine whether the group used an ‘Ariadne’s thread’ – a rope used by divers while exploring caves to help them stay close together and find the entrance and exit to the cavities.

The use of the rope is mandatory in certain caves.

The Maldives, a nation of 1,192 tiny coral islands scattered some 500 miles across the equator in the Indian Ocean, is a luxury holiday destination popular with divers, who often stay at secluded resorts or on dive boats.

Local regulations allow dives to a maximum depth of 98 feet, but experienced professionals are known to go deeper.

Diving and water-sport-related accidents are relatively rare in the South Asian nation, although several fatal incidents have been reported in recent years.