how two divers who disappeared in 1993 at Cape Nice were found

Enquêtes de Région returns to the incredible story of these divers found 30 years almost to the day after their disappearance on American Falls, in Nice. A dramatic diving accident, forgotten, but which will experience an exceptional outcome.

By going into the water at the beginning of October 2023 at Tombant des Amériques, a world-famous scuba diving site located to the far east of Nice in the Alpes-Maritimes, Victor Yazbeck knows that he is embarking on a memorable dive.

This extreme diver, Belgian of Lebanese origin, chose this submerged cliff, which begins 40 meters below the surface and sinks into the abyss beyond 200 meters, to break a depth record. He will not succeed in his sporting feat, but will, despite himself, be at the origin of an incredible discovery.

“Coming back up, the visibility was good, the conditions were good… And at one point, I see a bottle. It calls out to me. I see underneath that there is a vest, and I notice a shape underneath… I'm not very close, but I see everything that day, I know that at 111 meters, I saw a dead person underwater!

The Nice maritime gendarmerie has been informed of this astonishing testimony. Warrant Officer Yann Bessac is the investigation director: “while touring the quays and diving clubs of Nice, there is a story that stands out : that of two divers who disappeared in 1993 when the Americans fell.”

Victor Yazbeck's testimony could fit in with the story of 1993. But to be sure, you have to go see it on site… more than 100 meters below the surface. Warrant Officer Bessac then contacted the French Navy and one of its specialized units: Cephismer (Expert center in human diving and underwater intervention).

The military set sail from Toulon aboard the Jason, an imposing ocean-going tugboat. On the immense rear platform of the ship, the Diomede system was installed, which makes it possible to deploy an ROV – an underwater robot – capable of working at very high speeds. great depth. Once you have reached the planned depth, exploration with the robot can begin.

In near darkness, along the dizzying underwater cliff, visibility is only a few meters. And as soon as the robot approaches the wall, its small propellers suspend silt, making visibility completely zero…

Eyes glued to their screens, operators are not discouraged… and after eight hours of research, a shape appears. “Between two rocks, a silhouette begins to emerge”remembers the investigation director who was alongside the ROV pilots. “A scuba tank, a wetsuit that really has a human shape, fins…” the diver that Victor Yazbeck saw a few weeks earlier is there!

There remains a delicate and crucial step: reassembling the remains, then carrying out various analyzes in order to confirm their identities. But already, the diving suits, very specific and surprisingly well preserved, leave little doubt. After a few weeks, the DNA speaks : it is indeed Daniel Varnier and Christian Thubet, the two divers who disappeared on December 4, 1993 at Tombant des Amériques.

This discovery will to resolve a 30-year-old mystery surrounding the tragic disappearance of Daniel and Christian, to allow their families and loved ones to complete their mourning, but also to find themselves.

> A story to discover in Regional Investigations, The missing from the fall of the Americans, Wednesday October 30, 2024 on France 3 Côte d'Azur and France 3 Provence Alpes and on France.tv