Sergeant Mahudhee: the Coast Guard diver they called Boava

Mahudhee, who died aged 44 during the recovery dive at the Devana Kandu cave system on May 16, was one of the Maldives National Defence Force's most experienced divers, a Coast Guard sergeant of more than 20 years' standing who was among the military's most respected maritime and diving specialists.

"A few days after he passed away, my father checked the fridge and found [the octopus] there," his brother Faris recounted to the Maldives Independent. "My father cried and said that even his last wish had been fulfilled by Mahudhee."

Mahudhee was known for always travelling with a particular bottle of perfume, insisting his wife pack it before every trip. But before leaving for the recovery mission, he told her to keep it for their children instead. 

"So he knew this was a very dangerous task," Faris said quietly. "But he was very brave. Anything he tried, he became the best at it," he said. "He was very daring, very brave, and he really cared about people. If you know him, you will love him."

Mahudhee is remembered by colleagues, family, friends and students alike for his generosity, courage and unwavering commitment to service.

According to the official MNDF line, he died of decompression sickness while assisting in the recovery operation for five Italian divers. However, the operation has since drawn scrutiny from senior Maldivian divers over the equipment and gas mix used.

Mahudhee's death prompted an outpouring of grief across the Maldives, particularly within the diving and military communities, where he had spent more than two decades building a reputation as one of the country's most experienced and dependable divers. In recognition of his service, the national flag was lowered to half mast for 48 hours.

Over a military career spanning 20 years, Mahudhee became a leading figure in maritime and underwater operations within the MNDF. He completed extensive training, alongside advanced tactical programmes in rescue and salvage command, maritime interdiction operations, and vessel boarding, search and seizure.

He also completed leadership training through the MNDF NCO Academy, including both Corporal and Sergeant courses, and contributed to institutional life in smaller but memorable ways, including qualifying as a basketball table official.

Yet those who knew him say his greatest contribution was not simply his technical expertise, but his ability to inspire others and make people feel cared for.

Born and raised in Malé, Mahudhee grew up in a large and close-knit family alongside four brothers and one sister. From an early age, the sea was central to his life. His younger brother, Faris, recalled how Mahudhee and his friends would sometimes leave home in their school uniforms pretending to attend class, only to spend the day in the water instead. 

"The principal of the school would go to catch them!" he chuckled. "Some of those same friends later became Coast Guard officers with him. They all grew up together from when they were children, so it was like a big family."

Faris and Mahudhee's home in Malé became a gathering place for neighbourhood children and friends, with football courts in the yard and a large mango tree that they often climbed together. 

"All the children in the neighbourhood and our other friends would come to our house," Faris said. "It was like a big playground. We had a good childhood."

Athletic and fiercely competitive, Mahudhee excelled in basketball from his teenage years. He played first division basketball for Club Valencia before he and his brother were recruited by the airport team, where they were offered employment alongside representing the club. 

"He was one of the best players on the team," Faris recalled. "In his room there is a huge shelf full of his trophies. He was a top player, a prodigy in basketball. Actually, he was at the top of anything he did, anything he tried he would become the best at it, whether it was basketball, handball, carrom or anything else."

A former classmate from Majeedhiyaa School recalled their shared years in the cadet corps and on the basketball court, where Mahudhee became known for his extraordinary endurance and determination. 

"Keeping up with him was how I changed from a chubby kid to a more athletic kid," he said. "He was one of the fastest learners and someone who never gave up." Majeediyya Muskulhi Dharivarunge Jamiyya later paid tribute to him as a proud alumnus and former cadet corps member whose "life and contributions shall continue to live on through the family he leaves behind, and the lives he touched". 

Ahmed Afaal, the association's president, described him as "a dedicated serviceman of the Maldives National Defence Force, and a national basketball player who served both his country and community with honour".

"His life reflected discipline, courage, humility and commitment," he wrote, alongside other tributes from former classmates and friends.

Outside of his sporting accolades, Mahudhee was also a highly accomplished free-diver and spear fisherman. Known affectionately by the nickname "Boava" because of his remarkable ability to catch octopus, he became widely admired among younger divers, particularly in Vaavu Felidhoo, where one of his wives' families lived and where he spent much of his free time.

"My brother and I were addicted to spearfishing," Faris said. "We travelled a lot to islands to catch fish, and because he was married to a girl from Felidhoo, he visited there often. If you caught fish and shared it with the community, everyone loved you. So everyone there loved Mahudhee."

"He was such a good kid," one Felidhoo resident said. "I can't say I've met such a well-mannered kid. No one who knew him well would say he was a bad kid, he was different. If he caught a fish, he'd bring it to me and ask, 'Do you want anything? Tell me if you want anything, I'll bring it for you.'"

For that resident's son and many other young men growing up on the island, Mahudhee became a role model. 

"I don't remember how old I was, but I think I was around 10," one recalled. "I didn't go diving because I was small then, but I remember we'd all be fishing at the jetty and Mahudhee would come with his spear gun on his shoulder. He'd get into the water and catch so many fish within around five minutes. We'd be very inspired and want to go diving ourselves."

Mahudhee later taught many of the island's children how to equalise underwater pressure safely. "Everyone sees him like a hero here," he said. "Then and now."

Mahudhee became known for his exceptional ability underwater. According to his brother, he successfully speared a sailfish, something very rarely achieved in the Maldives. Faris recalled one spearfishing trip in particular, when he genuinely feared his brother had drowned after watching him remain underwater behind some coral for an impossibly long time. 

"I kept surfacing for air and going back down trying to reach him, around four times," he said. "I thought he had died. But he was just calmly waiting for the fish without any issues."

Mahudhee first learned scuba diving around the age of 18 or 19, after joining the Whale Submarine operation shortly after it began in the Maldives in 2000. He trained under Umar Naseer and quickly developed into one of the country's most accomplished divers. Within the MNDF, he later became a dedicated Open Water Dive Instructor who trained and mentored countless young personnel entering maritime and rescue operations. Colleagues described him as calm, disciplined and deeply respected. 

"He was one of the most humble and most qualified instructors that I have worked with," one of them said.

Throughout his career, Mahudhee received four military medals and nine commendation ribbons recognising both his professionalism and service. These included the 17th SAARC Summit Medal, the Minivan 50 Independence Medal and the Jumhooree 50 Republic Medal, alongside a Humanitarian Service Medal for his work during the Covid-19 pandemic. His commendation ribbons included the Bravery Ribbon, Special Service Ribbon, Military Service Ribbon, Long Service Ribbon, Achievement Ribbon and Special Talent Ribbon. His discipline was further recognised through the awarding of the Good Conduct Ribbon across three separate classes.

However, friends and relatives consistently described him not through his accolades, but through his generosity and kindness. "Even if you only met him a couple of times, you could ask him to catch you a lobster and he would do it," Faris said.

For those closest to him, what remains strongest is not the image of a decorated serviceman or elite diver, but his constant warmth and happiness. One cousin remembered him as "such a sweet and kind-hearted brother, with a strong and courageous heart", recalling a childhood filled with laughter. 

"I still can't believe he would be the first to leave," she said. "The last time I saw him, he gave me his usual bubbly happy smile before driving away. Who knew that would be the last day I would see him?" Another cousin described him as "a deeply loving, kind-hearted and gentle person" who, even in the final moments of his life, "acted with immense courage, sacrificing himself and placing the nation above his own life".

"He was the big smiling face of our family," his brother Faris said. "You would never see him angry or moody. He was always smiling when he spoke to you. He was our smile."

His family say they remain committed to caring for the children and wives he leaves behind. "We will always support them," Faris said. "Because we loved our brother."

Mahudhee is survived by his two sons, aged 11 and 16, his two wives, his parents, his four brothers and his one sister.