BRITISH CAVE DIVER ANDREW RICE, 43, DIES DURING 1,000TH DIVE IN FRANCE AFTER BODY FOUND 88 METRES UNDERWATER

A British cave diver has died during what was intended to be a milestone expedition in southwestern France, after his body was found deep inside an underwater cave nearly 300 feet below the surface.

Andrew “Andy” Rice, 43, from Stroud, Gloucestershire, was identified as the diver who disappeared during an exploration of the Gouffre de Saint-Sauveur near Calès in the Lot department.

Rice was an experienced technical and rebreather diver and had been preparing for what he described as his 1,000th dive.

HE ENTERED THE CAVE FOR HIS MILESTONE DIVE

Rice entered the Gouffre de Saint-Sauveur at around 3:30 p.m. on September 18, accompanied by two other divers.

They were part of a larger group of eight experienced British cave divers who had travelled to the region to explore its underground cave systems.

Earlier that morning, Rice had posted online about the significance of the planned dive.

He said he had completed a final “shakedown” dive to test a newly fitted needle valve on his equipment and had become confident it was operating correctly.

He then prepared for the dive he had been looking forward to — number 1,000.

The two other divers eventually returned safely.

But Rice did not emerge.

MASSIVE SEARCH LAUNCHED AFTER HE FAILED TO RETURN

When Rice failed to surface by around 8 p.m., his fellow divers raised the alarm.

A major rescue operation was launched involving firefighters, gendarmes, specialist cave divers and members of the French Spéléo Secours rescue organisation.

One of the early hopes was that Rice might have reached an air chamber known as La Cloche, approximately 80 metres below the surface, and taken refuge there.

Rescue teams searched the chamber but found no trace of him.

The search was extremely difficult because of the depth and complex configuration of the submerged cave.

As specialist divers moved through the passages, disturbed clay reduced visibility underwater, making an already dangerous operation even more challenging.

BODY FOUND 88 METRES BELOW THE SURFACE

On September 20, after days of searching, rescue divers located Rice’s body in a flooded section of the cave.

He was found at a depth of approximately 88 metres — around 289 feet — below the surface.

French authorities said the body was located in a narrow section of the cave and was entangled in the underwater guideline used by cave divers to navigate through the passages.

The guideline, known as the fil d’Ariane, is used to help divers find their way back through the cave system.

The difficult conditions meant the body could not immediately be brought to the surface.

BODY RECOVERED DAYS LATER

After several days of complex recovery work, Rice’s body was finally brought out of the cave on September 23.

Lot public prosecutor Clara Ribeiro confirmed that the body was removed from the water at around 4 p.m. and transported to the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Toulouse.

An autopsy is now expected to help determine the circumstances and cause of his death.

Authorities have so far not established exactly what caused Rice to die.

The Gramat gendarmerie is conducting an investigation into the circumstances of the death.

AN EXPERIENCED TECHNICAL DIVER

Rice had been diving since around 2010 and progressed from recreational diving and guiding to highly technical cave and closed-circuit rebreather diving.

He was also a former potholer and developed a particular interest in underwater cave exploration after completing a mine-diving course in Britain.

He was a member of the Cave Diving Group and served as deputy training officer at the InDepth Dive Club, where he was also an open-water instructor.

In the days before his death, Rice had documented several challenging dives during his French expedition.

One recent cave penetration reportedly reached approximately 1,130 metres from the entrance, with depths approaching 90 metres.

Fellow divers have since described him as highly skilled and meticulous.

“HE WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN”

News of Rice’s death has prompted an outpouring of grief among fellow divers and friends.

One tribute described the loss as devastating, writing that it was difficult to accept that they would never see Rice again.

“He will never be forgotten,” the person wrote.

Other members of the diving community also expressed sympathy for Rice’s family and praised the rescuers who worked in extremely challenging conditions to locate and recover him.

INVESTIGATION CONTINUES

The fatal dive was intended to mark an extraordinary personal milestone for Rice.

Instead, his 1,000th dive became his final expedition.

French investigators are now examining the circumstances surrounding his death, while an autopsy is expected to provide further information.

For his family, friends and fellow divers, Rice is being remembered not only for the tragedy of his final dive but also for years spent exploring some of Europe’s most demanding underwater cave systems.

At 43, an experienced diver with a passion for technical exploration, Andrew Rice leaves behind a community of fellow divers who have described his loss as both devastating and difficult to comprehend.