Adélie Land, Antarctica – The French professional diver Gérald Malaussena, who had been missing in Antarctica since mid-January, has been found. His body was located beneath the sea ice near the French research station Dumont-d’Urville.
Malaussena had been missing since 13 January 2026. Polar Journal reported. At the time, he was conducting a scientific dive beneath the sea ice as part of the inspection and maintenance of research infrastructure. When he failed to return to the surface as scheduled, search operations were initiated.
The search involved French response teams as well as international partners. Due to ice conditions and limited visibility beneath the ice, technical equipment was deployed alongside conventional methods. Eventually, a remotely operated underwater vehicle was able to locate the diver’s body. The subsequent recovery confirmed his death.
The responsible authorities have not yet released details regarding the exact circumstances of the incident. Investigations are ongoing. Diving beneath closed ice cover is part of routine work in polar marine research and requires specialised training and extensive safety measures, but is associated with known risks.
Gérald Malaussena was regarded as an experienced specialist with many years of work in polar regions.
Marcel Schütz, PolarJournal