A major search operation is continuing in southwestern France for a 43-year-old British cave diver who failed to return from an exploration of the Saint-Sauveur resurgence in the Lot department.
The diver entered the Gouffre de Saint-Sauveur at Calès at around 3:30pm on Friday, 18 September, as part of a group of experienced British cave divers visiting the region.
When he failed to return within the expected timeframe, his companions raised the alarm at around 8pm.
French authorities subsequently activated the ORSEC emergency response arrangements for underground rescue, bringing together firefighters, law enforcement and specialist cave rescue personnel.
The Spéléo Secours Français confirmed that its Lot team was deployed to Saint-Sauveur and was directing the underground element of the rescue operation.
Specialist Search Underway
Initial searches were conducted on Friday evening before operations were suspended shortly after midnight for safety reasons.
The search resumed on Saturday morning with additional specialist personnel and equipment.
According to French newspaper La Dépêche du Midi, reinforcements were flown into the area from the Hautes-Pyrénées and Bouches-du-Rhône, bringing several hundred kilograms of equipment.
A major focus of the operation was an air chamber within the submerged cave system where rescuers hoped the missing diver might have been able to take refuge.
Specialist divers subsequently reached and searched the chamber but did not find him there.
Lot public prosecutor Clara Ribeiro described the missing man as a very experienced cave diver and confirmed that the other members of the group had been interviewed as authorities worked to establish what had happened.
Eight Hours of Breathing Gas Reported
French authorities said the diver had entered the system with approximately eight hours of breathing-gas autonomy.
A second cylinder had reportedly been prepared but had not been used.
By Saturday evening, the search had still not located the diver, and the prosecutor’s office had opened an investigation into a concerning disappearance.
Specialist divers from the Marseillan gendarmerie nautical brigade and Spéléo Secours Français were expected to continue searching deeper into the cave system.
A Major French Cave Diving Site
Saint-Sauveur is a resurgence of the River Ouysse and is well known within the European cave diving community.
The submerged system reaches considerable depth and requires specialist cave diving skills, equipment and planning.
The wider Lot region attracts cave divers from across Europe and beyond because of its extensive submerged cave and resurgence systems.
Spéléo Secours Français continues to list the Saint-Sauveur operation as an active rescue.
The Scuba News will update this story as further information is confirmed by the French authorities.
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