TOPIC:

I wonder if anyone is following the news about this rescue mission of the boys from the cave near Chang Rai. What an extremely difficult situation!
I've done diving and visited silver mines with narrow passages, but this is exponentially more than anything like that and combined with any other worst scenario, except maybe a war happening overhead on top of this. I truly hope all of them will make alive out from the cave. Imagining being in their shoes, this is one the rare moment I give a serious wish to some 'supernatural' intervention. I truly wish for a positive ending to this.

Stan, I previously spent a lot of time in Thailand, so have been following this with interest - it really is bad situation: I saw that one of the rescue divers died today, whilst returning after a food drop for the boys - poor guy.

Me too. I think combined 1.5 years, not as much as many expats, but have seen a lot of Thailand passing through in each direction and exploring, and staying in some places for a month, two or longer. I spend a couple days in Chang Rai on the way to Laos, but haven't been to that one particular cave.

Yes, very bad news about that one diver... Seems like he was not in one those narrow passages at the time, which is good news within this bad news. They would have a tough body recovery mission on their hands on top of what's happening.

It's when they say it takes over 5 hours to get in, and something like 7 hours to get out (tides?) you realise how technical the route must be, and why the kids can't just be 'floated out' with full face masks.

As one pro diver has already died due to running out of air, the risk of non-swimmers panicking and dislodging their gear in zero-vis. muddy water is just disastrous, but then if the air quality in the cave is also likely to suffocate them in days rather than months, it's a horribly tough rescue choice to make.

I assume they've had to announce the intention to launch a rescue imminently as it will be controversial whichever way they go.


Where was that dry-mining cave-in a couple of years ago, where they drilled a rescue tube down and used a pod to lift the guys out?
Guess there may not be time for that now, and maybe the wet coastal cave structures are not stable enough to manage the risk of drilling causing a collapse?

That drilling was in Atacama desert in Chile. Actually, I passed by that mine as well so I know how the area looks. It's dry, high altitude, and from what I heard those miners were in a much shallower area. So, nothing like this cave. Monsoon in Asia is brutal. From high levels the water has to run down and of course the cracks lead to caves. If you visited Yukatan (Mexico), there are many cenotes there - sink holes and when it rains, it quickly disappears underground. So, these boys are trapped in such environment.
From what I gather, drilling would be a pretty certain hit and miss, due to distance and a very small target mostly.

That time to travel is confusing... Once I heard 3 hours both ways, than 5 hours one way, than 1.5 each way... I think the reporters themselves don't the exact data, and also that changes in real time as well depending on conditions.

I just hope they will get out alive. I think the biggest factor would be not panicking, which is a thousand times easier to say than done. As much as the boys total inexperience is an obvious drawback, or rather in a way the deal breaker, it could in a weird way actually be a good thing, because they are naive in a good innocent way, definitely brave because of that and inexperience, and would not overthink and hopefully surrender and follow blindly what told when the time rises. I'd say too much bad initiative coming from mediocre divers could be worse. In a sense, the boys blank slate could come to their and everyone's advantage, while of course the whole thing is nuts because it's really just for the most advanced and experienced! That's what's crossing my mind... and I am sure those experts will know how to utilize all angles of this difficult situation.

Seems we might get the answers soon. I wish them good luck!....

The rescue started, and 4 boys are already out. BRAVO!!!