, Beat Müller
Tödlicher Unfall "Tank Cave" - Opfer geborgen
Am vergangenen Montag konnte die Leiche des beim Unfall vom Sonntag verstorbenen australischen Höhlenauchers geborgen werden.
A 65-year-old Victorian man has died in a cave diving accident in the state's south-east. Emergency services were called to the scene at about 10.30am on Sunday (30.11.25). Emergency services were called to the scene at Tank Cave, near Tantanoola, at about 10.30am on Sunday following reports of an incident. Police have confirmed that they have started a recovery operation, involving officers from the Water Operations Unit, for the 65-year-old Victorian man.
The body of a man who died while cave diving in South Australia's south-east on Sunday has now been recovered, police say. The 65-year-old Victorian man died in Tank Cave, which is near Tantanoola and where emergency services were called on Sunday morning. His death prompted a significant recovery operation involving the SA Police Water Operations Unit, specialists from the Cave Divers Association of Australia and Thai cave rescue hero Richard Harris. The association's national director, Grant Pearce, said the man who died was an experienced diver whose loss came as "quite a shock" for the close-knit cave diving community. He said the man was with two others in a planned dive in the underwater cave's 8 kilometre "maze passage system" when he realised he could not follow them, so turned back. The cave is about 25 kilometres from Mount Gambier and is one of 32 diving locations in the region.
Body of Gary Gibson removed from Tank Cave after experienced diver’s death in South Australia
The highly experienced diver was exploring the underwater cave with two others when disaster struck. The 65-year-old’s body was recovered late Monday afternoon about 3:30pm. On site assisting was renowned cave diver Richard Harris, who played a pivotal role in the 2018 Thai cave rescue where he and a team helped rescue 12 boys and their coach from a flooded cave. Harris used his medical expertise to assess the health of the boys and administer anaesthesia to the trapped individuals within the cave to facilitate their rescue and remained until the last person was safe. Superintendent Trent Cox said the recovery of the diver’s body was “complex” due to the nature of the dive which stretches 7km underground in a maze of passages. Tank Cave is considered “advanced” and is one of the country’s longest underwater cave systems, rich in fossils and notorious for its technical challenges. Located 25km from Mount Gambier, the cave is named after a water tank that once covered its entrance. A report will be prepared for the coroner.