Cave diver dies in Tank Cave near Tantanoola in SA’s Limestone Coast
Emergency services have found the body of a man from Tank Cave near Tantanoola, the same system where another diver died in 2011.
A cave dive in the state’s South-East has ended in tragedy for a visiting adventure-seeker.
Last night the air was chill at Tank Cave near Tantanoola, in the hours after a man died in a cave diving excursion gone heartbreakingly wrong.
Tank Cave is popular due to its crystal-clear water and extensive, mazelike system.
Emergency services rushed to the site Sunday morning in response to reports one diver was missing and another trapped in rocks, the duo part of a party of divers. The alert was made about 10.30am.
While the diver described as trapped was soon located and helped to safety, the missing diver could not be saved.
That man, a 65-year-old Victorian, was later confirmed by police to have died, believed to have drowned.
However, as of Sunday night, the man’s body had not been retrieved.
Tank Cave – rated by divers as “advanced” – is lauded as one of the longest underwater cave systems in Australia, “rich in fossils and offering unique dive experiences and the chance to explore unknown section passages … and challenging exploration potential”.
Cave diving is a highly specialised form of technical diving that involves the exploration of water-filled caves, often in little or no light. It requires advanced training and is considered an “extreme sport”.
Police were on scene late Sunday, reportedly waiting for “the water operations team to come and extract” the body of the deceased diver from the cave. It is understood the earliest the body will be recovered is Monday.
The atmosphere surrounding the cave was sombre.
Police are liaising with the Cave Diving Association of Australia (CDAA) ahead of the operation to recover the body.
An association spokesman confirmed that involvement, but could not provide any further details, saying “updates will be made as new information comes to light”.
A report will be prepared for the coroner. The entrance to Tank Cave is a small hole in the ground, in a field, about 24km from Mount Gambier.
It is not the first time a diver has died at the popular diving destination, which spans an 8km-long cave system.
In 2011, 29-year-old diver and archaeologist Agnes Milowka died after running out of air while navigating a narrow part of the cave system.
The retrieval operation in that instance took several days and involved numerous cave divers, including Adelaide anaesthetist Dr Richard Harris, who famously helped rescue 12 young Thai soccer players and their coach trapped in a Thai cave for 17 days in 2018.
Dr Harris, jointly named Australian of the Year in 2019 with his friend and fellow diver Dr Craig Challen for their roles in the remarkable international rescue, was appointed Lieutenant Governor of South Australia in January last year.
On Sunday, Dr Harris said he was unable to comment on the latest tragedy.
Originally published as Cave diver dies in Tank Cave near Tantanoola in SA’s Limestone Coast
