A powerful voice echoes through breakfast room of a Thai hotel. It comes from a cromlechs, sleeves of his diver’s suit dangling down. He tells of his rescue mission in Tham Luang Cave: “I held boy with both hands against my chest, but some posts were really very tight.” The diver is a soldier of Australian armed Forces. It was he who in his arms liberated one of young football players from pitch-black darkness of cave. He needed a lot of hours. A diver colleague was re, he wore compressed air bottle, which supplied boy with air. Now he sits in breakfast room, his feet are covered with yellow patches of disinfectant – during dive in dark and in murky water he had cut his feet on sharp rock of cave. Both Australian divers do not want to call ir names.
if ( typeof AdController !== ‘undefined’ !window.Zeit.isMobileView()) { if ( !document.getElementById( ‘iqadtile8’ ) ) { var elem = document.createElement( ‘div’ ); elem.id = ‘iqadtile8’; elem.className = “ad ad-desktop ad-desktop–8 ad-desktop–8-on-article”; elem.setAttribute(‘data-banner-type’, ‘desktop’); document.getElementById(‘ad-desktop-8’).parentNode.appendChild(elem); AdController.render(‘iqadtile8’); if ( window.console typeof window.console.info === ‘function’ ) { window.console.info(‘AdController ‘ AdController.VERSION ‘ tile 8 desktop’) } } } if ( typeof AdController !== ‘undefined’ window.Zeit.isMobileView()) { if ( !document.getElementById( ‘iqadtile3’ ) ) { var elem = document.createElement( ‘div’ ); elem.id = ‘iqadtile3’; elem.className = “ad ad-mobile ad-mobile–3 ad-mobile–3-on-article”; elem.setAttribute(‘data-banner-type’, ‘mobile’); document.getElementById(‘ad-mobile-3’).parentNode.appendChild(elem); AdController.render(‘iqadtile3’); if ( window.console typeof window.console.info === ‘function’ ) { window.console.info(‘AdController ‘ AdController.VERSION ‘ tile 3 mobile’) } } }
The divers do not want to rest in hotel for too long. It is eight o’clock in morning, at 11 o’clock next dive is to start, to bring anor four boys of eight children included at time. The two divers get into vehicles y are supposed to take to entrance of cave. There y meet or saviors. There are 19 people on Australian team alone. A furr 50 divers have come from many or countries. In addition, Thai military has sent 40 soldiers to elite unit Navy Seals.
In Thailand re are dozens of caves – y are hardly explored because many locals suspect re are ghosts. The military, which has been in force since 2014, has greatly increased its defense budget during its time in power. But misfortune of young football players in cave shows: country does not have divers who can handle difficult use safely. After death of a former Navy SEAL last Friday, who had voluntarily reported, some of native divers should even be scared of furr missions. The generals refore accepted offer of or nations. The rescue operation brings toger experts from USA, China, Great Britain, neighboring countries Laos and Myanmar as well as divers from Israel, Belgium, Denmark and Australia.
The rescue mission, to which two Australian divers had broken off from hotel, is successful: toger with or foreign divers y manage to save four more boys.
Discovered by a coincidence
It was two British divers Rick Stanton, a former firefighter, and John Volann, actually it advisers who had tracked down trapped boys in a small grotto. The luck helped m: end of rope, which two carried with m and laid for way back, was reached. The British showed up cautiously to hook it up and suddenly faced emaciated boy. “There will be many people coming,” Stanton promised frightened children before he disappeared again in dark water to get help.
if ( typeof AdController !== ‘undefined’ !window.Zeit.isMobileView()) { if ( !document.getElementById( ‘iqadtile4’ ) ) { var elem = document.createElement( ‘div’ ); elem.id = ‘iqadtile4’; elem.className = “ad ad-desktop ad-desktop–4 ad-desktop–4-on-article”; elem.setAttribute(‘data-banner-type’, ‘desktop’); document.getElementById(‘ad-desktop-4’).parentNode.appendChild(elem); AdController.render(‘iqadtile4’); if ( window.console typeof window.console.info === ‘function’ ) { window.console.info(‘AdController ‘ AdController.VERSION ‘ tile 4 desktop’) } } } if ( typeof AdController !== ‘undefined’ window.Zeit.isMobileView()) { if ( !document.getElementById( ‘iqadtile4’ ) ) { var elem = document.createElement( ‘div’ ); elem.id = ‘iqadtile4’; elem.className = “ad ad-mobile ad-mobile–4 ad-mobile–4-on-article”; elem.setAttribute(‘data-banner-type’, ‘mobile’); document.getElementById(‘ad-mobile-4’).parentNode.appendChild(elem); AdController.render(‘iqadtile4’); if ( window.console typeof window.console.info === ‘function’ ) { window.console.info(‘AdController ‘ AdController.VERSION ‘ tile 4 mobile’) } } }
That was on Monday last week. Since n, experts have puzzled how to free boys from cave. The Australian physician Richard Harris was flown in extra-an experienced diver who managed to penetrate enclosed inside 1,800 meter high mountain nang non. He checked state of health of twelve boys and ir coaches who had been included since 23 June.
Quarrel among rescuers
The two discoverers of boys ‘ place of residence, Stanton and Volann, are still involved in salvage operation. “There are few in world with this ability and necessary equipment,” British First aid organization, Royal Humane Society, described two. They belong to a small group of divers who have trained as cave-savers in ir free time in Britain. According to observers, ir great experience is that previous rescue operation was successful. Thus, a difference of opinion could have been settled among saviors. The commander of Thai Navy Seals would have pushed for a quick rescue attempt, it said. However, foreign cave divers would have come to point of prudence and stressed need for good preparation.
if ( typeof AdController !== ‘undefined’ !window.Zeit.isMobileView()) { if ( !document.getElementById( ‘iqadtile5’ ) ) { var elem = document.createElement( ‘div’ ); elem.id = ‘iqadtile5’; elem.className = “ad ad-desktop ad-desktop–5 ad-desktop–5-on-article”; elem.setAttribute(‘data-banner-type’, ‘desktop’); document.getElementById(‘ad-desktop-5’).parentNode.appendChild(elem); AdController.render(‘iqadtile5’); if ( window.console typeof window.console.info === ‘function’ ) { window.console.info(‘AdController ‘ AdController.VERSION ‘ tile 5 desktop’) } } }
Finally, latter could prevail. But even with good preparation, salvage of boys is laborious and risky. They have never been immersed and can swim a little at best. Diving in caves requires a perfect balance and, above all, good nerves. Therefore, experts speculate that boys get sedatives before dive. “Nothing is worse in a cave than bouncing upwards against ceiling,” says a member of Australian rescue team. Meanwhile, divers have planned rescue of last four remaining boys in cave and ir trainer. “You will decide on Tuesday wher you can take out all four children still in cave and your trainer in one day,” said Governor Narongsak Osottanakorn.
