BRITISH DIVER ANDREW RICE, 43, FOUND DEAD 88 METRES UNDERWATER IN FRENCH CAVE AFTER TWO-DAY SEARCH

CALÈS, LOT, FRANCE — A British cave diver who disappeared during a dive in southwestern France has been found dead nearly 300 feet underwater, after specialist rescue teams spent two days searching a complex submerged cave system.

Andrew Rice, 43, from Stroud, Gloucestershire, failed to return from a dive at the Gouffre de Saint-Sauveur near Calès on Friday, September 18.

His body was located two days later, on September 20, at a depth of approximately 88 metres (289 feet).

French authorities have opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death. His official cause of death has not yet been established.

HE ENTERED THE CAVE WITH A GROUP OF EXPERIENCED DIVERS

Rice was part of a group of British divers who had travelled to the Lot region of France to explore the underground cave system.

He entered the Saint-Sauveur resurgence at around 3:30 p.m. on September 18.

Reports said the group consisted of experienced cave divers, with Rice entering the submerged network alongside other divers.

The others eventually returned safely.

But Rice did not emerge.

By around 8 p.m., his companions raised the alarm.

French emergency authorities immediately began a major underground search operation.

A MAJOR SEARCH OPERATION WAS LAUNCHED

The response involved specialist cave divers, firefighters, gendarmes and members of the French Spéléo Secours cave-rescue organisation.

The operation was particularly difficult because of the depth and configuration of the underwater cave.

Authorities activated France’s emergency response system for underground rescue operations, known as the ORSEC plan.

Specialist teams entered the cave in an attempt to determine whether Rice might still be alive somewhere inside the system.

At one stage, rescuers hoped he may have reached an underwater air chamber located approximately 80 metres below the surface.

The chamber could potentially have provided a temporary refuge for a diver who had become unable to continue the dive.

But when rescue divers reached and searched the chamber, Rice was not there.

HIS BODY WAS FOUND 88 METRES BELOW THE SURFACE

The search continued into Sunday.

On September 20, rescuers finally located Rice deep inside the cave system.

His body was found at a depth of approximately 88 metres.

Cahors public prosecutor Clara Ribeiro confirmed the discovery.

However, the body could not immediately be brought back to the surface because of the difficult configuration of the cave.

Authorities said another recovery attempt would be made as soon as possible.

RECOVERY WAS MADE EVEN HARDER BY POOR VISIBILITY

The recovery operation presented another major challenge.

Reports from French media said Rice was found caught in a guideline used by cave divers to navigate submerged passages.

These lines, sometimes referred to as an “Ariadne’s thread,” help divers maintain their route through dark and complex underwater tunnels.

The cave’s narrow passages made it difficult for rescuers to reach and recover him.

Disturbed clay also reportedly clouded the water, dramatically reducing visibility for the specialist teams.

However, authorities have not established that entanglement was the cause of death.

An investigation into the circumstances and cause of death remains underway.

HE HAD BEEN PREPARING FOR A MILESTONE DIVE

In the days before the tragedy, Rice had been documenting his diving trip on social media.

According to reports, he had travelled to France hoping to complete his 1,000th dive.

In a Facebook post on September 9, Rice wrote about returning to the area to continue “unfinished business” from the previous year.

He said he hoped everything would go according to plan so he could complete dive number 1000.

In another post shortly before the fatal dive, he described completing a final preparation dive and testing equipment.

He wrote that he was feeling confident and was ready for the “Big one” — his planned 1,000th dive.

AN EXPERIENCED CAVE DIVER

Rice was described by people familiar with the case as an experienced diver.

The Gouffre de Saint-Sauveur is a recognised cave-diving location in the Lot region, where underground passages extend to considerable depths.

The system is a resurgence of the River Ouysse, meaning underground water emerges there before continuing above ground.

Cave diving is considered technically demanding because divers must navigate confined underwater passages while managing breathing gas, equipment, depth and limited visibility.

In this case, Rice reportedly entered the system with an approximately eight-hour supply of breathing gas, together with backup equipment.

FRIENDS HAVE PAID TRIBUTE

News of Rice’s death prompted tributes from fellow divers and friends.

One person described being devastated by the news and said Rice would never be forgotten.

Another described the incident as exceptionally tragic and sent thoughts to Rice’s family and diving team.

The messages reflected the close-knit nature of the cave-diving community and the shock caused by the incident.

THE INVESTIGATION CONTINUES

French authorities are continuing to investigate what happened during Rice’s final dive.

At present, investigators have not publicly established the precise circumstances that led to his death.

His body was found approximately 88 metres beneath the surface, but the official cause of death remains unknown.

The recovery operation itself has also been complicated by the cave’s narrow passages, depth and poor underwater visibility.

For Rice’s family, friends and fellow divers, the tragedy has brought an end to a desperate two-day search that began when an experienced diver failed to return from what was intended to be a landmark 1,000th dive.

Andrew Rice was 43.