Victorian diver dies in ‘notoriously challenging’ Tank Cave site in South Australia

A 65-year-old Victorian man has died after coming into trouble inside a “notoriously challenging” cave diving site near Mount Gambier in South Australia.

Tank Cave is a popular cave diving spot in South Australia. Picture: Richard Harris

A Victorian man has tragically died in a cave diving incident just over the South Australian border on Sunday morning.

A recovery mission is now underway at Tank Cave, a notoriously challenging dive site on the Limestone Coast.

South Australia Police confirmed that emergency services were called to the spot, near the Princes Highway, at approximately 10.30am following reports that a cave diver was in trouble.

“Police attended and confirmed the diver, a 65-year-old man from Victoria, had tragically died and have commenced a recovery operation for the deceased, involving officers from the Water Operations Unit,” police stated.

They added that there were no reports of any other injuries and no immediate safety concerns regarding the incident itself.

Tank Cave, located about 25 kilometres from Mount Gambier, is a popular but highly technical dive spot.

It is named for a water tank that once covered its entrance, requiring divers to descend a ladder to reach the underground entry point.

The small surface lake leads to “an extensive, mazelike system with over 7km of dive-able passages,” according to the Cave Divers Association of Australia (CDAA).

The site has a history of fatalities with world-renowned cave explorer Agnes Milowka dying at Tank Cave in 2011 at the age of 29, after reportedly running out of air in a narrow underwater tunnel.

The CDAA acknowledged the tragedy on Sunday night.

“The CDAA National Committee can confirm an incident at Tank Cave at Tantanoola on the Limestone Coast at around 10.30am this morning,” they released in a statement.

“Emergency services crews are on site and liaising with the CDAA. No further details are available at this time and updates will be made as new information comes to light.”

Originally published as Victorian diver dies in ‘notoriously challenging’ Tank Cave site in South Australia