A university student narrowly escaped death during a scuba diving excursion in the Maldives that left five Italian tourists dead after she reportedly decided not to enter the water at the last moment, as reported by The New York Post.

According to Italian outlet liberoquotidiano.it, the unidentified student from the University of Genoa had prepared to join the dive on Thursday, but ultimately remained aboard the yacht while the rest of the group descended into an underwater cave near Vaavu Atoll.

Authorities said the group had planned a dive roughly 160 feet below the surface near the island of Alimatha.

The student was reportedly aboard a diving yacht named Duke of York when the rest of the divers entered the water.

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It remains unclear why the student chose not to participate in the dive after initially preparing to enter the water. Italian media reported she stayed behind moments before the excursion began, a decision that likely saved her life.

The student has not been publicly identified.

Italian media described her as the “only direct survivor of that day” and reported she may become a key witness as investigators attempt to determine exactly what happened during the fatal excursion.

Authorities said there were also approximately two dozen other non-crew members aboard the vessel throughout the day.

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The victims included Monica Montefalcone, a marine biology professor at the University of Genoa, and her 20-year-old daughter, Giorgia Sommacal.

Three additional tourists also failed to resurface after the dive, including Muriel Oddenino of Turin, Gianluca Benedetti of Padua, and Federico Gualtieri of Borgomanero.

Benedetti reportedly worked as both a diving instructor and a boat captain.

Search operations continued following the incident, though rough weather conditions reportedly forced rescue crews to suspend operations on Friday.

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Local police in the Maldives have opened an investigation into the tragedy as authorities continue working to determine the cause of the deaths.

The incident has drawn international attention as questions continue surrounding what may have happened during the deep underwater cave dive.

Earlier reports indicated investigators and diving experts were examining whether oxygen toxicity, panic, or another underwater emergency may have contributed to the fatalities, though authorities have not officially confirmed a cause.

The unidentified student was reportedly preparing to return home to her family on Friday after surviving the excursion.

The Maldives remains one of the world’s most popular destinations for diving tourism because of its coral reefs, marine wildlife, and deep-water diving locations, though experts have long warned that cave diving and deeper underwater expeditions carry increased risks even for experienced divers.

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