The lifeless body of a 65-year-old individual who was a cave diver has been recovered after a significant operation involving specialized teams. The incident took place at Tank Cave, located near Tantanoola in South Australia. Emergency services responded to the scene at approximately 10:30 am on Sunday following a report of a drowning. The victim, identified as Gary Gibson from Victoria, tragically passed away on the same day.
The retrieval of Mr. Gibson’s body occurred around 3:30 pm on Monday, thanks to the efforts of officers from the South Australia Water Operations Unit and expert divers from the Cave Divers Association of Australia. Mr. Gibson had been diving alongside two other experienced cave divers, who were understandably shaken by the events, as mentioned by Superintendent Trent Cox.
Prior to the discovery of the body, Superintendent Cox addressed the media in a press conference on Monday, indicating that another dive operation was either in progress or scheduled for later in the day. He emphasized the potential challenges of fatigue for the divers and mentioned that although they hoped to recover the body that day, it was not a certainty.
Dr. Harris, a retired anaesthetist and cave diver known for his involvement in the 2018 rescue of a group of young football players and their coach from a flooded cave in northern Thailand, also participated in the search efforts, as reported by ABC Australia.
Superintendent Cox highlighted that an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Mr. Gibson’s death would be conducted, noting the complexity of the cave system with its intricate network of tunnels. The body of Mr. Gibson was located at a specific site known as P7 within the Tank Cave, situated approximately 15 miles from Mount Gambier, one of the 32 diving locations in the area.
Tank Cave, renowned for its expansive maze-like configuration, boasts nearly 4 miles of navigable underwater passages, making it one of the longest subterranean cave systems in Australia, according to the Cave Divers Association of Australia.
Grant Pearce, the director of the Cave Divers Association of Australia, fondly described Mr. Gibson as a humorous and lively individual. Pearce revealed that Mr. Gibson got separated from his companions after encountering difficulty squeezing through a narrow passage and failed to reach the designated meeting point.
Describing Mr. Gibson as a skilled and experienced diver, Pearce expressed shock at the news of his unfortunate fate and extended sympathies to Mr. Gibson’s spouse.