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This is just for your information and is voluntary reported briefly in order to limit all discussions abouts these sad stories. The last two weeks, we had two accidents in France resulting in three cave divers deaths. The last ones ends up yesterday after the rescue team recover the body. For sure there is to learn from these fatalities, and this is why I pass you the information. I apologize for my ppor english and may the lack of diplomacy in the words used but this is only due to language barrier. A) Five cave divers started an exploration in a cave south of France, the objectif was to pass the entrance sump and carry out the mapping of the dry cave beyond the sump. The sump was about 100 meters long and 10 meter deep, it was quite narrow not allowing two divers to dive side by side. Visibility was poor (1-2m). On the five divers, two were experienced and one was an outstanding cave diver, the others were on the learning curve. All the divers pass the sump and did the post sump explorations. On their way back they discovered the sump with a visibility close to zero. The more experienced diver was the last one to exit. On the way back one of the divers got entangled in the line. The first divers tried to assist her and cutted the line then they went out without the entangled diver (the visibility was zero), the last diver arrived on the cutted line and backward in the dry cave. Rescue teams arrived rapidely on site and dived the sump with difficulty due to the visibility. The sump was finally passed by one rescue diver (who installed a new line) without finding the entangled diver. Junction was established with the trapped diver. As they concluded that the missing diver was probably dead, the trapped diver was shoked and felt responsible of the accident. Despite of this, it was decided to dive out. As I mentionned before the trapped diver was a very experienced diver and the sump should not a problem for him in normal psychological conditions. Unfortunately he lost concious during the exit dive and drown, rescue diver was unable to assist him as there was no visibility and that due to the narrow passages the touch contact progression was impossible. The entangled diver body was discovered later dead in the sump. This a very sad story where errors occured with an non conformance of the technical skill of the divers and the cave. More over the second death is something which affect a lot the french cave diver community. B) South of France, a spring exploration was engaged to do a further penetration Objectif was to pass the cave terminus 1100 meters from the entrance with a depth of 90 meters. The explorations team was constitued of confirmed divers who were experienced in mixed gas technics. Cave conditions were as usual in France with a visibility of 5 meters, water temperature 14 deg C and the average cave section is 3 meters by 4 meters. During one of the preparation dives, a diver was supposed to installed some stage cylinders up to 800m point the max depth was 34m. He dived with a nitrox 40%, a DPV and a double 20 liters(independants) and some stage bottles. Rescue operations started 3 hours later and the body was discovered 800 meters from the entrance on the line on his way out, the depth point was 32 meters. His mask was full of blood, the DPV was operationnal as the regulators. The body was extracted yesterday and the depth gauge indicated that he reached 48 meters depth. Hyperoxia is certainly the cause of the death. The divers overpassed his objective... He was experienced and aware of the oxygen toxicity limits. Two fatal accidents in such a time frame is a great shock for the french cave divers community. Usual statistics is about one fatal accident a year per 1000 divers and concerned unexperienced divers. In these two cases, very experienced divers were killed which is something who rarely happenned in the past. This is certainly due to our wish to push the limits... Sorry to pass such information but I think that every body can learn about this, but please try to not polemize about what should has been done or not, it is sad stories for us and for the family, we will not forget the lesson(s) I hope... Thanks for your attention. Frederic BADIER
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