The diver has not been named by police but is known to be a 51-year-old American man. He had joined a team that headed off in late January to explore a labyrinth of flooded iron mines on Bell Island, in Conception Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador.
Organised by Ocean Quest Adventure Resort and Bell Island Heritage Society, the project pulled together Canadian, American, British and Egyptian divers to explore a potential 9sq mile complex.
The 17-strong team wished to analyse the 'integrity of the mine shafts under water, hazards, artefacts discovered and overall suitability for establishing a full-time cave-diving operation in the mine'.
It is not clear whether the expedition, which was due to continue until the end of this week, will continue or be aborted.
From 1895 to 1966, the No 2 mine in the complex produced more than 78 million tonnes of iron ore, making it the most productive submarine mine of its type in the world. Any future mine-diving tourism infrastructure would add to Bell Island's already popular range of shipwreck sites.
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