British cave diver found dead in French cave system

A 43-year-old British cave diver has been found dead at a depth of 88 meters in the Gouffre de Saint-Sauveur resurgence in the Lot department of south-western France.

The diver was part of a group of eight experienced British divers exploring the region. On Friday, three divers entered the submerged cave system near Calès; while two returned as planned, the third failed to emerge. This triggered a major specialist rescue operation involving the Préfecture du Lot, the ORSEC underground rescue plan, Spéléo Secours Français, firefighters, and gendarmerie divers.

Rescuers initially hoped the diver had reached an air chamber, but his body was located on Sunday at a depth of 88 meters. Cahors public prosecutor Clara Ribeiro noted that the cave's configuration made recovery efforts particularly difficult. Some reports indicate the body was found entangled in a navigation guideline, though authorities have not yet confirmed if this contributed to the accident. An investigation has been opened to determine the exact circumstances and cause of death.