Body of Cave Diver, 65, Found 1 Day After He Vanished in ‘Labyrinth’ of Underground Tunnels

The body of a missing cave diver has been recovered a day after he vanished while exploring Tank Cave near Tantanoola, South Australia.

On Monday, Dec. 1, South Australia Police announced that the remains of a 65-year-old man had been located and brought to the surface.

Authorities had earlier reported that one man had drowned and another had been rescued during a cave diving incident at Tank Cave.

“Police, with the assistance of specialist divers from the Cave Divers Association of Australia, have this afternoon retrieved the body of a man following a diving incident at Tantanoola yesterday,” the police statement said.

They added that at around 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 30, officers and emergency services responded to Tank Cave, near the Princes Highway, after receiving reports that a cave diver had drowned.

“Police responded and confirmed the diver, a 65-year-old man from Victoria, had tragically died,” the release continued.

Authorities said a recovery operation was launched using specialist divers. “There are no suspicious circumstances surrounding the man’s death and police will be preparing a report for the Coroner,” they noted.

Superintendent Trent Cox explained at a Monday press conference, per the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), that investigators are still working to understand exactly what happened underground.

“The coronial process is all about determining the cause of death, what led to it, but in terms of whether there was a rock fall or anything like that, it’s too early to tell I’m afraid,” Cox said.

“The cave system … is extremely complex. It’s a labyrinth of tunnels — big, small, of varying degrees of accessibility,” he added. “It’s a complex scene and we’re very mindful of the trauma that family is experiencing.”

Although police said in an email that they will not be publicly confirming the diver’s identity, multiple outlets — including The Daily Telegraph, 7News and ABC — have identified him as Gary Gibson.

According to The Daily Telegraph, Gibson had been diving with two friends on Sunday when he decided to turn back after realizing he would not fit through a narrow passage. The group had agreed on a rendezvous point in case someone could not continue the dive, but Gibson never arrived.

Grant Pearce, national director of the Cave Divers Association of Australia, told the outlet that Gibson was regarded as a highly capable and experienced diver.

“He was a very solid diver,” Pearce said, describing him as a “very energetic chap” with a sharp sense of humor. “He had quite a lot of experience diving here. It was quite a shock to hear that Gary wasn’t coming back. Our thoughts immediately went to Gary’s wife.”

Pearce also noted that Gibson was very familiar with Tank Cave, including the route he was following when he died.

Ten divers from the Cave Divers Association of Australia took part in the recovery mission, The Daily Telegraph reported. Dr. Richard Harris — who was involved in the 2018 Thai cave rescue — was among those assisting in the operation.

“The CDAA National Committee can confirm an incident at Tank Cave at Tantanoola on the Limestone Coast at around 10:30 this morning. Emergency services crews are on site and liaising with the CDAA,” the association said in a statement on Facebook at the time.

The diver was reportedly found about 164 feet from the point where he had separated from his friends.

Pearce added that in his 42 years of diving, there have been four major rescue efforts at Tank Cave, and only one person has survived.