A diver has died in a cave in the Swiss canton of Ticino, with recovery of his body now presenting a challenge to expert rescuers. After failing to return from a planned dive on 2 November, the man was found at a depth of 40m some 200m in from the cave entrance.
The cave lies in the Blenio Valley near the source of the Brenno river. Ticino cantonal police announced the fatality yesterday (4 November), and said that the diver had entered the cave in late morning two days earlier, with his failure to return reported at around 2.30pm.
The police requested specialist assistance from Swiss Speleological Rescue Service divers, who were flown to the site by helicopter by the country’s air-rescue service REGA. The diver's body was located at around 7.30pm.
The task of bringing the body out began the day after its discovery, but was described by police as being “particularly complex and technically demanding” and as such liable to take several days and numerous dives by expert cave-divers.
The recovery operation was complicated by the narrowness of the passages, the configuration of the cave and the poor visibility under water. Formal identification of the diver had not yet proved possible, stated the police.
Ticino is Switzerland’s southernmost canton and lies mainly south of Alps. Its diver attractions are usually associated with the clarity of its waters for river and lake diving.
Also on Divernet: Cave-diver Hemphill lost at Phantom Springs, Body found in search for Chinese cave-diver, Cave-diver dies in Cumbria, Cave-diver Jared Hires dies in Norway’s Plura
