Body of Gary Gibson removed from Tank Cave after experienced diver’s death in South Australia

Police and professional divers have worked for hours to recover the body of a fallen diver who perished while exploring an underwater cave on South Australia’s Limestone Coast.

Emergency crews rushed to Tank Cave near Mount Gambier on Sunday after reports a diver was missing.

WATCH ABOVE: A body of a Victorian diver has been recovered after a complex recovery operation in South Australia.

Gary Gibson, 65, was in the cave with two other highly-skilled drivers. The alarm was raised about 10.30am when he became separated from the group.

The recovery operation continued on Monday and was led by the Australian Cave Divers Association due to their expert knowledge of the conditions.

South Australia Police water operations units also entered the cave to assist.

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.

He and fellow rescuer Craig Challen were jointly awarded Australian of the Year in 2019 for their heroic actions.

This tragic death marks the third drowning at the cave system, with two other divers perishing in 2011.

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.