Italy has posthumously awarded its Gold Medal for Civil Valour to Sergeant First Class Mohamed Mahudhee of the Maldives National Defence Force, recognising his actions during the search for missing Italian divers in Vaavu Atoll.
The medal, Italy’s highest civilian honour for acts of bravery, was presented to Mahudhee’s family at a reception held at Barceló Nasandhura in Malé. Italian Ambassador Damiano Francovigh and Economic Minister Mohamed Saeed jointly presented the award. The event also marked the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Maldives and Italy, as well as Italy’s 80th National Day.
Mahudhee, a Coast Guard diver, died in May after developing decompression sickness while participating in the search and recovery operation for five Italian nationals who went missing during a dive at an underwater cave system off Vaavu Alimathaa. One body was recovered on the day of the incident; the remaining four were later retrieved with assistance from Finnish technical divers after the initial search was suspended following Mahudhee’s death.
He was brought to Malé and died while receiving treatment at ADK Hospital. He was laid to rest with full military honours, with President Dr Mohamed Muizzu and senior officials attending the funeral.
In addition to the medal, the Italian Embassy in Colombo and the Honorary Consular Agency of Italy in Malé have opened a fundraising campaign to support Mahudhee’s family. Contributions are being accepted until the end of the year.
Minister Saeed, speaking at the ceremony, paid tribute to Mahudhee and acknowledged the support extended by the Italian government and people following the tragedy. He also reflected on longstanding ties between the two countries, particularly in tourism, and opportunities for further cooperation in trade and investment.
The award was conferred under a decree published in the Italian Official Gazette, recognising Mahudhee’s service during the recovery operation.
