Thai cave rescue: What happened and how did a Navy SEAL diver die? – The sun
THE Tham Luang Cave rescue in 2018 captured the world’s attention when divers tried to rescue 12 young boys and their football coach.
Divers from all over the world participated Thailand‘s elite navy SEAL unit for the dangerous mission after the group became trapped in a flooded cave system.
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What was the plan to rescue the captured boys?
On June 23, 2018, 12 boys – aged 11 to 16 years – and their football coach missing.
The missing team was eventually discovered, stranded in a flooded cave almost three miles from the entrance, after a nine-day search operation.
The mission to rescue them began on July 8 and four boys were brought to safety that first day.
Divers were forced to trawl through dark, narrow passages, some of which are no more than 0.6 meters wide.
Part of the rescue plan involved teaching the missing boys to dive and being strapped to a professional diver as they made their way back through the cave system.
Their journey back to the cave entrance took an estimated five hours.
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Are all the boys saved?
This was confirmed on July 10, 2018 all 12 boys and their coach were rescued locked in the flooded cave after 17 days.
People in northern Thailand were photographed celebrating in the streets after the miracle escape.
With the help of experienced divers, eight boys were rescued during the first two days of their dangerous escape attempt.
A ninth child was subsequently rescued on the morning of July 10 and minutes later a tenth person was carried away.
Witnesses subsequently confirmed that an eleventh person had been carried from the site before reports confirmed that the last boy and the football coach had been successfully rescued.
Did a diver die during the rescue?
Former elite Navy SEAL Saman Kunan tragically died after suffocating while trying to rescue the twelve captured boys from the Tham Luang Nang Non Caves.
The experienced diver lost consciousness when he returned to safety delivering essential supplies to the group.
Hero Kunan, who was 38 when he died, returned after placing oxygen tanks throughout the cave’s underground network as plans were made to rescue the trapped group.
His diving partner quickly began attempts to revive him, but he was pronounced dead a short time later.
Thai Navy SEALs released a statement honoring Kunan after his death, calling him a “skilled and talented seal and a triathlon athlete.”
The statement read: “Even after leaving the SEAL unit, he still kept in touch and maintained a bond with the rest of his former colleagues. He always participated in Seal activities until the last step of his life.
“Saman left us while working as a diver and at a time when all divers were joining forces to complete the mission. His commitment and determination will always remain in the hearts of all divers.”
How can I watch the documentary The Rescue?
Salvation is one Disney+ documentary released in 2021.
According to the streaming site, the program is an “against-all-odds story about the daring rescue of twelve boys and their coach deep in a flooded cave in Thailand” that “sheds light on the risky world of cave diving.” , the astonishing courage and compassion of the rescuers, and the shared humanity of the international community who united to save the boys.”
The documentary has a running time of one hour and 47 minutes and was directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin.
The rescue was broadcast BBC Two on February 25, 2024.