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Thailand cave rescue (1 Viewer)

As a father and a diver, I've been tracking this, and it's been crazy.  Absolutely amazing that they have survived, and that S&R crews were able to get to them.  The conditions/location are horrendous.  Teaching adolescent boys to perform some extremely advanced diving while being scared and malnourished is terrifying.  CNN had a picture of a cleat left near the entrance to the cave that happened to be the same one my son wears.  Really hit home.  The families have been going through torture.  They must be thrilled that they're alive, but the the boys will never be "right" between the global media coverage and inevitable PTSD.  I feel for all of them.

 
>>The Thai authorities have appealed for donations for full-face scuba diving masks which are easier for beginners to use than normal air regulators which fit into the mouth.<<

I just don’t understand. The Thai government can’t buy these, like yesterday?

 
>>It has also emerged that the boys may have gone into the cave as part of a local “initiation” process, one of the British dive team assisting the operation said.

They were “wading in and trying to go to the end of the tunnel, sort of like an initiation for local young boys to … Write your name on the wall and make it back”, Ben Reymenants told Sky News.

Thai police have said they will look into whether the 25-year-old coach could face legal action for leading the boys into the cave.<<

Ok I’ve been trying to figure out how the hell this happened.

 
>>It has also emerged that the boys may have gone into the cave as part of a local “initiation” process, one of the British dive team assisting the operation said.

They were “wading in and trying to go to the end of the tunnel, sort of like an initiation for local young boys to … Write your name on the wall and make it back”, Ben Reymenants told Sky News.

Thai police have said they will look into whether the 25-year-old coach could face legal action for leading the boys into the cave.<<

Ok I’ve been trying to figure out how the hell this happened.
Yeah, KTLA reported something along these lines. My first thought is how the boys got into a cave with a coach around. 

This sounds like a adulthood ritual or teaching device gone horribly awry.   

Most important, thoughts and prayers for the boys.  

Ugh.  

 
I've been following loosely since the first couple days. Assumed they were going to find the worst, and was astonished and psyched to see those kids alive.

I assumed they were on a field trip of some kind to the caves- visiting as tourists, not part of an initiation. 

 
I've been following loosely since the first couple days. Assumed they were going to find the worst, and was astonished and psyched to see those kids alive.

I assumed they were on a field trip of some kind to the caves- visiting as tourists, not part of an initiation. 
That's what I thought until I heard something out of the corner of my ear. 

This is from CNN -- 

"The cave is popular with tourists who venture into the cavernous entrance, however the tunnels narrow to the point that it's only possible to crawl through them. The tunnels open into wider chambers, and it's in one of those chambers that the boys were found."

 
That's what I thought until I heard something out of the corner of my ear. 

This is from CNN -- 

"The cave is popular with tourists who venture into the cavernous entrance, however the tunnels narrow to the point that it's only possible to crawl through them. The tunnels open into wider chambers, and it's in one of those chambers that the boys were found."
Yes? I'm not getting initiation from that. Maybe - you guys wanna check out the cool part? Yes we do! 

But not interested in all of that tbh- just hoping they can get these kids outta there and safe asap rocky.

 
Yes? I'm not getting initiation from that. Maybe - you guys wanna check out the cool part? Yes we do! 

But not interested in all of that tbh- just hoping they can get these kids outta there and safe asap rocky.
Yeah, I heard something weird on KTLA out of the corner of my ear. No, I posted the CNN piece to contradict myself.  Think I'll slow the roll. That's why I'm posting only verified news sources now. Speculation does nothing.  

 
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The original report Saints is citing is from Yahoo! News quoting the Independent, a British paper, and a "source" said that. Saints reported it faithfully, and the Independent is a credible paper, to the best of my knowledge.   

 
Last edited by a moderator:
The original report Saints is citing is from Yahoo! News quoting the Independent, a British paper, and a "source" said that. Saints reported it faithfully, and the Independent is a credible paper, to the best of my knowledge.   
Sorry, gb... Wasn't trying to catch you in anything here. Even with things being reported, I figure most of this is still speculating.. So that's what we're all doing, while thoprawing too.

 
I've been following loosely since the first couple days. Assumed they were going to find the worst, and was astonished and psyched to see those kids alive.

I assumed they were on a field trip of some kind to the caves- visiting as tourists, not part of an initiation. 
Yeah, I have not read much, but it seems like the coach had taken the team on similar expeditions before.

 
Sorry, gb... Wasn't trying to catch you in anything here. Even with things being reported, I figure most of this is still speculating.. So that's what we're all doing, while thoprawing too.
No sweat, my friend. I didn't think you were. I felt self-guilt a bit for assuming the worst of the coach when the story first broke, I think. Then I heard something, it was reported here, and my thoughts went to the worst. 

That's on me.  

Thropaw is right.  

 
From BBC:

Who are they?

The 12 boys are all members of a local football team and their coach is known to have taken them on occasional excursions and field trips.  same story has a facebook photo of the team on another trip

 
that's really helpful, thanks.

any sense of how far into the cave they are- how many feet/miles/minute-walk they are if the caves were dry?
They were found on a rock shelf about 4km (2.5 miles) from the mouth of the cave.

It is thought the boys could move through parts of the cave in dry conditions but rushing waters clogged the narrow passages with mud and debris, blocking visibility and access.

 
They were found on a rock shelf about 4km (2.5 miles) from the mouth of the cave.

It is thought the boys could move through parts of the cave in dry conditions but rushing waters clogged the narrow passages with mud and debris, blocking visibility and access.
hfs... that's a LONG way from the mouth of the cave- an hour walk in good conditions. must be pitch dark in there once the cellphones died... can't even imaging what they've gone through- seriously brave kids. c'mon thai gov- get them out and stat.

 
Its the narrow parts where I think kills any reasonable chance of a quick rescue - I just think that is too big a risk for someone who has not dived, let alone for someone who is not a good swimmer.

The flip side is - just thinking about sanitary conditions - how do you keep that area sanitary for 4 months.  I get that they can get food/water, and maybe even pump some air in there.  But, holy crap, thats a long time to live in a cave.

 
if a tunnel is too narrow for a scuba tank. then its too narrow for my ###. why in gods name would anyone climb into a hole just wide enough for your body? nope...not me. 

 
if a tunnel is too narrow for a scuba tank. then its too narrow for my ###. why in gods name would anyone climb into a hole just wide enough for your body? nope...not me. 
Did they climb that far in originally or did they get trapped by water and have to keep moving further in as the water came towards them?

 
There was a period where they were pumping 1.5 million liters a minute and were barely making a dent. 

 
Can they dig a new hole down the way did in Chile?
they might have more luck widening some of those very narrow passages to make evac easier. From the diagram, they are under the center fo a mountain, so thats a lot of extra drilling. 

even at the base of the mountain, that's still outside those really narrow areas. 

 
I almost get a panic attack just reading about this and just thinking it I was in the same position.

Praying and hoping this has a good outcome.

 
Holy hell:

Rescuers entering the cave complex located in northern Thailand have to navigate dark, flooded tunnels for six hours to reach the team. It takes another five hours to return to the entrance.

Link

 
I don't see how they're going to get them out during the rainy season. They're going to have to figure out how to keep them alive and sane until the dry season, and then have them crawl out rather than swim out.

 
I would think that you could train to swim and dive if it is what you are doing full time relatively quickly.  Much sooner than 4 months.  

In the interim a team could start running a cable guidewire between the two points so the boys can easily navigate the waters in a faster time.

 
In the interim a team could start running a cable guidewire between the two points so the boys can easily navigate the waters in a faster time.
The guidewires are in place -- the Thai Navy SEALs and other divers are themselves using them.

 
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I'm fully aware they have a bunch of experts on this and any ideas I come up with are ones they've already considered. So, I assume they've already thought of this and rejected it for some reason. But, what about digging out the tunnel to make it taller so you don't have to dive underneath to get out? In certain spots, take out several feet above the water so you can just swim or raft out on top of the water?

 
The guidewires are in place -- the Thai Navy SEALs and other divers are themselves using them.
Gotcha.  That will help but the narrow passages are going to be a pain.  I am no Engineer but I wonder if you can run 2.5 miles of air hose with a face mask so that a tank does not have to be worn.

 
I'm fully aware they have a bunch of experts on this and any ideas I come up with are ones they've already considered. So, I assume they've already thought of this and rejected it for some reason. But, what about digging out the tunnel to make it taller so you don't have to dive underneath to get out? In certain spots, take out several feet above the water so you can just swim or raft out on top of the water?
Possible collapse of the tunnel is my only guess.

 

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