In the summer of 2018, few people in the world with access to news reports could fail to have been gripped by the story of the 12 young boys from the Wild Boars football team and their coach, trapped by a sudden flood in the Tham Luang cave in Thailand. Floods in caves rarely end…
It is an honour to have been given the opportunity to review Aquanaut, and to immerse myself in Rick Stanton’s account of his numerous cave diving exploits, and his unique perspective on the now universally acclaimed 2018 rescue of the Wild Boars from Tham Luang Nang Non in Thailand. Book reviews are not generally at…
Honoured … Rick Stanton, Connor Roe and Chris Jewell (Photos by Linda Wilson) The British divers at the centre of the Thai cave rescue have been recognised in the New Year’s honours list. Rick Stanton and John Volanthen, who reached the stranded boys first, have both been awarded the George Medal, which is the second…
British cavers suddenly found themselves on the front pages of the world’s media through the Thai cave rescue drama. Journalist Sharon Wheeler takes a look at some of the issues raised by the coverage over the past few months. Summer is known in the media as the silly season for a good reason. Schools and…
With the Thailand cave rescue operations now completed with the 100 % successful evacuation of all casualties and rescue divers, Darkness Below presents some reflections on this incredible “good news” story. Before reading further, however, let us remember Saman Kunan, the Thai volunteer diver portrayed above, who lost his life while preparing the cave for the evacuation operation. There is nothing more noble than this: that someone will risk their life, and be prepared to lose it, in the course of helping to save the life of someone else.
We can now confirm that all twelve of the boys and their coach have been successfully rescued from the cave. As well as one of the largest rescues in history this has been one of the most protracted and technically difficult, yet ultimately successful cave rescues ever undertaken. The success of the rescue mission…
It has now been confirmed that the seventh boy is out of the cave and the eighth is nearly out. If the rescue controllers have essentially the same personnel and equipment as yesterday, then it is probable that, as with yesterday, they will then call a halt for rest and re-supply and will continue the…
Various contradictory reports are circulating regarding the emergence of two of the boys. Reuters, citing a local official, says that the first two members of the Thai football team have been recovered from the cave. ITV’s John Irvine says that a local police chief has just told him that two of the boys are out…
Overnight an international team of divers entered the cave, beginning the operation to bring the trapped boys and their coach out of the cave. At 10 am local time 18 divers went into the cave to bring out the boys. The rescue team includes 13 international divers and five Thai navy Seals. Sources state that…
Tragic news came from Thailand today of the death of retired Thai Navy Seal Saman Kunan who ran out of air on a dive to stage further air cylinders into the cave. He became unconscious on the return journey from “chamber 3.” Attempts by his companions to revive him, were unsuccessful. His body was taken…
Photo courtesy of Chris Jewell Two more British cave divers, Chris Jewell and Jason Mallinson are joining the ongoing rescue effort in Thailand, along with around 500kg of additional equipment including rebreather sets, drysuits, cylinders, Sofnolime and A clamp adaptors to allow the UK divers to use Thai Navy cyclinders. The two reportedly left…
Attached below is the latest update regarding the British involvement in the Thaiand Cave Rescue. Any press enquiries shoud be directed as detailed in the briefing note. BCRCMediaBriefingReport3_Thaicaverescueincident_020718
It’s probably fair to say that people across the world, not just cavers, are breathing one the largest collective sighs of relief for many years as the regional governor, Narongsak Osottanakorn, breaks the news that twelve boys aged 11 to 16 and their 25 year old coach, all members of the Wild Boar soccer team,…
Breaking news: All 12 boys and their football coach have been found alive after nine days missing in caves in Thailand, the regional governor says. All 13 are safe, the governor confirmed, speaking after a mammoth search operation in the Tham Luang caves in Chiang Rai. More to follow.
In a race against the clock three British cave rescue divers and their equipment left Heathrow just after 9pm last night on a flight to Thailand to join the search for thirteen people trapped in Tham Luang Nang Non cave in Chiang Rai province. The British contribution includes four Heyphones supplied by Derbyshire Cave Rescue Organisation (DCRO), a…
