British man dies after becoming trapped in 280ft underwater cave with body still stuck

A British man has tragically died after he became trapped in a narrow 280ft underwater cave while diving in France.

The man, said to be a 43-year-old British national, is was reported to have been missing for two days when the discovery was made.

He was found at around 280ft in the Gouffre de Saint-Sauveur cave near Calès, in south-west France, after going missing during the dive on Friday (18 September).

French authorities have now opened an investigation into the circumstances of his death after the discovery on Sunday (20 September).

He is said to have become entangled in the guide line in a narrow passage deep underwater, becoming stuck and then failing to swim back up to the surface.

Napoleon Bridge above the Gave de Gavarnie river (Mikel Bilbao/VW PICS/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

According to local reports, the unnamed man was part of a group of eight British cave divers. La Dépêche reported that emergency crews were alerted at around 8pm.

The Gouffre de Saint-Sauveur is a well-known and regularly visited site for experienced cave divers with people travelling from around the world.

French authorities activated the underground-rescue provisions of their emergency response system, ORSEC (Organisation de la Réponse de Sécurité Civile), with firefighters and cave rescuers also called.

A spokesperson for rescuers Spéléo Secours Français said they hoped the missing diver had been able to take refuge in an air-filled chamber within the system.

It was also thought he had entered the caves with an eight-hour supply of breathing gas plus a backup tank.

His body was eventually found on Sunday at a depth of around 88 metres, almost 290 feet deep, according to a statement from Cahors public prosecutor Clara Ribeiro.

Ribeiro confirmed they were unable to immediately retrieve the man's body due to ‘extremely difficult’ conditions in the caves but that this is due to take place.