Bodies of four missing Italian divers found in undersea Maldives cave - New Straits Times Online
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This tragedy illustrates how risk homeostasis and human overconfidence push divers past the hard physiological limits that nitrogen narcosis and cave diving physics will not forgive.
Risk HomeostasisDunning-Kruger EffectNitrogen NarcosisOverconfidence Bias
Theory Briefing
- Four Italian divers' bodies were found at 60 metres in a Maldives cave, double the 30-metre safety limit for recreational diving.
- Risk homeostasis theory suggests divers may have felt experienced enough to compensate for the danger, fatally underestimating the cave environment.
- Nitrogen narcosis, which impairs judgment rapidly below 30 metres, likely compounded the overconfidence that led the group deeper than survival allowed.