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 Heathrow on Wednesday night. The two are part of a larger team of five British Cave rescuers that will shortly arrive in Thailand.

Both divers are hugely experienced, and have dived together before, notably on the Systema Hautla expeditions one of the World’s deepest cave and made the connection between Pozu del Xitu cave and Cueva Culiembro in Spain’s Picos de Europa mountains.

According to the British Cave Rescue Council “Last night and later this morning, five key cave rescuers will travel from the UK to Thailand. Some are divers, others will perform a co-ordinating, surface control function. We are grateful for support received from several UK Search and Rescue (UK SAR) partners who assisted today with the logistical tasks to get people and specialist kit on flights. Police, Mountain Rescue and the Coastguard services have all played a part, as have local cave rescue teams and the Thai authorities, for which we are extremely grateful.”