A British diver has been found dead nearly 300ft down a French cave network two days after he went missing.
The 43-year-old was found on Sunday after he disappeared during a Friday dive in the Saint Sauveur chasm in southwestern France.
Local public prosecutor Clara Ribeiro said rescue divers found the man’s body at a depth of around 270ft.
His body could not immediately be brought to the surface due to the difficult conditions of the underwater cave.
Ms Ribeiro told local media that ‘the site’s unique characteristics greatly complicated the recovery of the body’.
She added that the man was ‘entangled’ by the guideline that went through the narrow caves.
On top of this, the diver disturbed the clay in the caves, which local media described as an abyss, muddying the waters and making the search for him all the more difficult.
Specialist divers are expected to return to the cave this week with more equipment to attempt to recover his body.
Local media reported he was part of a group of eight experienced British divers who had been exploring cave systems in the Lot region.
The 43-year-old Briton was found on Sunday after he disappeared during a Friday dive in the Saint Sauveur chasm in southwestern France (pictured)
After he entered the cave system at around 3.30pm on Friday, his fellow divers raised the alarm at 8pm after he failed to return.
Emergency services, including firefighters and divers, began searching for him that evening, though the operation was called off at midnight.
Rescuers then expanded the operation on Saturday, with additional searchers and equipment being drafted in.
Among the areas in the labyrinthine cave system searched was an air chamber that sits around 260ft below the surface.
Rescuers had hoped the British diver may have sought refuge here. But searchers did not find him there.
Authorities said they believed the man had around eight hours worth of oxygen on him, on top of an additional gas cylinder that was later found unused.
After the air chamber was searched and the eight hours of oxygen endurance had passed, authorities opened a missing persons investigation.
The search resumed on Sunday morning, with the man’s body being found later that day.
Though the man’s body has been located, authorities are still looking into the cause of death.
Cave diving requires specialist training and equipment, as well as careful planning and navigation.
Search-and-rescue operations in underwater caves can be dangerous to specialist teams, as they can involve diving to significant depths through narrow passages and reduced visibility.
The Daily Mail has contacted the UK’s Foreign Office for comment.
