Two French soldiers found dead after losing communication during diving exercise

Two French soldiers have been found dead in the Maine River in western France after losing communication during a diving exercise.

The soldiers, aged 24 and 30, were taking part in combat engineer diver training in Angers when the incident occurred.

Sergeant Bin Chen, serving with the 1st Foreign Engineer Regiment based in Laudun in the Gard department, and Corporal Axel Delplanque, from the 6th Engineer Regiment stationed in Angers, were the victims of the tragedy, according to a statement released by the French Ministry of the Armed Forces.

Both men were engaged in the freshwater component of their military diving qualification when they encountered difficulties during the night-time operation in the Maine-et-Loire city.

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The training exercise commenced at approximately 11pm in the river's waters, Angers public prosecutor Eric Bouillard told AFP.

Contact with the pair was lost around three hours later, at roughly 2am, prompting immediate concern among those overseeing the operation.

Early indications suggest the two divers may have become trapped within a cavity inside one of the bridge piers that crosses the Maine River.

The circumstances that led to the soldiers becoming stuck in this underwater structure remain under investigation.

The Rennes prosecutor's office, which holds military jurisdiction over such matters, has declined to provide further details about the accident while enquiries continue.

A search operation was swiftly launched following the loss of communication, leading rescuers to locate both soldiers in the water.

When firefighters retrieved the men from the river, both were found to be in cardiac arrest.

Despite efforts to resuscitate them, neither soldier could be revived and were pronounced dead at the scene.

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Mr Bouillard confirmed two men were pronounced dead at hospital at approximately 4:30am on Tuesday morning.

The Angers prosecutor's office transferred responsibility for the investigation to its counterpart in Rennes.

The combat diver training programme spans 10 weeks in total, comprising two distinct modules.

The initial seven-week phase focuses on technical skills and takes place at Saint-Mandrier in the Var department, covering maritime diving operations.

A subsequent three-week module, centred on tactical abilities and inland waterway exercises, is conducted in Angers, where the two soldiers were participating at the time of the accident.

Combat divers within the French Army's engineering regiments are responsible for intelligence collection, as well as preparation and support for bridging operations, the Ministry of the Armed Forces explained.

General Schill, Chief of Staff of the Army, expressed his sympathies following the tragedy.

"The Chief of Staff of the Army, joins in the grief of the families, relatives and comrades-in-arms of Sergeant Chen and Corporal Delplanque," the ministry's statement concluded.

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