Body of Missing Scientific Diver Recovered Beneath Antarctic Sea Ice

The body of a scientific diver who went missing beneath Antarctic sea ice earlier this month has now been recovered, bringing a tragic conclusion to a search effort that had drawn international attention across the polar research community.

As The Scuba News previously reported in Search Continues for Scientific Diver Missing Beneath Antarctic Ice, the diver disappeared on 13 January during a controlled under-ice operation near France’s Dumont d’Urville research station in Adélie Land. The dive formed part of routine scientific work inspecting submerged equipment beneath stable sea ice conditions, an activity commonly undertaken by trained polar research divers.

According to reporting by ABC News, the diver has now been formally identified as Gérald Malaussena, a member of the French Polar Institute’s scientific diving team. His body was located following several days of intensive searching beneath the ice, supported by specialist remotely operated vehicle technology deployed from McMurdo Station.

The recovery operation required drilling access holes through thick Antarctic sea ice, allowing an underwater search using remotely operated systems capable of operating where human divers could not safely continue. ABC News reports that the successful recovery involved cooperation between multiple national Antarctic programmes, including technical assistance from the United States, highlighting the logistical challenges faced when incidents occur in one of the most remote environments on Earth.

Earlier coverage by Polar Journal confirmed that the disappearance occurred during a sanctioned scientific dive carried out under established safety procedures. The publication reported that an immediate response was launched when the diver failed to return, with surface teams, support divers, and ice-based searches conducted despite increasingly difficult conditions.

The French Polar Institute has not released detailed information on the cause of the incident, and authorities have emphasised that no conclusions will be drawn until a full investigation is completed. Under-ice scientific diving in Antarctica remains one of the most technically demanding forms of professional diving, combining extreme cold, overhead environments, and limited rescue options, even for highly trained personnel.

For the global diving community, the incident is a sobering reminder that even meticulously planned dives carry inherent risks when conducted in extreme environments. While recreational divers are unlikely ever to face comparable conditions, the principles of redundancy, surface support, and conservative decision-making remain universally relevant.

The Scuba News extends its condolences to the diver’s family, colleagues, and the wider scientific diving community affected by this loss.