Vouliagmeni: Search operation in progress to recover the body of the 34-year-old diver

An ongoing operation is underway to recover the body of the 34-year-old diver who tragically lost his life when he became trapped after diving into the “Devil’s Well” in Vouliagmeni. The diver recovery team began the effort to retrieve his body just after 10:00 AM on Saturday, March 28th.

The operation is expected to take at least 1.5 hours and will depend on weather conditions, currents, and the clarity of the water. The operation is being carried out with special equipment for divers due to the depth and danger of the site.

A team of five specially trained cave divers is working in one of the country’s most dangerous underwater passages, in the Vouliagmeni coves. It is worth noting that the diver was found dead after being missing for four days. Rescue teams located his body at a significant depth, over 30 meters, inside this dangerous underwater cave.

Additionally, according to MEGA, rescuers also found the diver’s camera, which appears to have recorded his final moments and his attempts to surface.

The same sources report that, although the diver was well-trained, experienced, and fully equipped, a strong current swept him away and he hit the rocks, causing him to lose his equipment and ultimately resulting in his tragic death.

The 34-year-old diver was a professional pilot with the Civil Aviation Authority, living in Voula and working for a Greek-Italian company. Known for his calm demeanor and passion for diving and motorcycles, he had spent many hours honing his diving skills.

Timeline of the Diver’s Disappearance in Vouliagmeni

The 34-year-old, an experienced diver with appropriate equipment, attempted an underwater exploration with a colleague on Sunday, March 22nd, in the Vouliagmeni coves.

While his diving partner managed to escape and surfaced in time to alert the authorities, the 34-year-old is believed to have become trapped inside the underwater tunnels. Since then, a large-scale operation by the Coast Guard has been underway, involving a Coast Guard vessel, a Special Underwater Missions unit, and a private diving team.

What is the “Devil’s Well”?

The “Devil’s Well” is a narrow, vertical underwater “shaft” located a short distance from the cliffs, at an initial depth of approximately 11 meters.

Its diameter is about 3 meters, and the dive reaches depths of up to 30 meters, with particularly dangerous currents, especially around the 16-meter mark, where the current pulls the diver down towards a narrow underwater tunnel entrance that leads to an unknown-sized cave.

This tunnel has only been explored in the first 150 meters. Speleologists estimate that it is connected to Lake Vouliagmeni.

The name “Devil’s Well” is not associated with any specific myth, but mostly derives from its eerie appearance. However, it became linked to a tragic incident in recent history.

It is worth noting that in 1978, three Americans—two soldiers and a young woman—attempted to explore the underwater tunnel and lost their lives.

In September 1978, three young Americans—two military personnel from the former Hellenikon base (32-year-old sergeant Donald Missant and 21-year-old airman Mark Granford) and the latter’s 20-year-old sister, Joan—attempted to explore the underwater tunnel and went missing inside the passage.

Despite repeated search missions, they remained missing for decades. A major attempt to locate them was made in November 1978 with no result, and in 1989, cave divers recovered only a bottle and a few personal items.

The mystery of the three Americans’ disappearance in the cave was resolved in 2007, when bones found a year earlier were identified as those of the missing American divers.

After this incident, the Coast Guard installed protective railings at the site to prevent dangerous diving and placed a warning sign.