Then in a second email to BuzzFeed, Musk accused Unsworth of being a liar and said he wasnt on the cave dive team. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Despite everything, Gronqvist, Rantanen, Kankanen and Paakkarinen continue to enjoy the sport. "I got to that narrow place, where that first diver got stuck, and I had to decide what to do," he recalls. If the divers found Huotarinen's body impossible to shift, they would have to make the long trip back to Plura, and such a device might well be a life-saver. It appears as if hes happily attending a summer program at Cornell University at the moment, all the while being enrolled at The Masters School in New York (graduating class of 2023). The situation is already tinged with anxious dread by the time that Rick and Jonathan arrive, as hopes are fading that the Wild Boars might still be alive. Up until the summer of 2018, not many people had heard of Stanton. Having the bodies would help the families grieve, and would also help to prevent lengthy delays to insurance and inheritance settlements. In the cave-diving world, discovering how caves are linked together is a weighty achievement, one of the ultimate goals of the whole sport. But it was British cave diver John Volanthen and his partner, Rick Stanton, who were first to reach the stranded team and who played a key role in their ultimate rescue. If they asked the Norwegian police for permission, it was certain to be refused. Huotarinen seemed to be starting to panic, which meant he risked breathing too fast. Diver who helped with Thai cave rescue sues Elon Musk The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. When 12 members of a junior soccer team by the name of Wild Boars and their assistant coach decided to explore the Tham Luang caves on June 23, 2018, they never expected it to become an ordeal. John Volanthen is a world record-holding British cave diver who has been at the forefront of underground rescue and exploration over the last two decades. The authorities said it was too dangerous to retrieve their bodies, but four friends of the men decided to take the risk - and seven weeks later they descended into the dark and glacial waters. Although John Volanthen wished to keep his distance from the limelight following the events of 2018, he has not shied away from sharing his side of the story to indicate hes not a hero, just a skilled diver. The blockbuster vibe continues through the films characterizations, which are involving enough in broad strokes, but considerably less detailed than the helpful 3D renderings that Vasarhelyi and Chin have commissioned of the cave network; disorientation may be a constant threat to the divers, but The Rescue does such a fine job of orienting us to its environs that we soon know the various cave chambers by number. This was a communal effort on a global scale, and while the size of the films ensemble cast forces The Rescue to make some unfortunate concessions along the way (the Thai perspective is sorely lacking from a story that never sheds its foreigners POV), the teamwork required to pull off this miracle is powerful tribute to what people are capable of when they put their minds together and feel personally responsible for solving a problem. At such depths and temperatures, a tear in a dry suit on the sharp cave floor could result in death. Jill Lawless contributed to this report from London. Diver Vernon Unsworth, who lives north of London, contends that Musk made the false allegation on Twitter and then repeated multiple other falsehoods after the dramatic rescue of a dozen youth soccer players and their coach in July. The Tesla founder responded with a series of tweets accusing Mr Unsworth of paedophilia. In gripping footage, the divers' torches catch the jagged edges of the cave walls. These include and underwater mapping device, communications systems and state of the art, micro rebreathers, allowing divers to stay underwater longer than was previously possible. The youngest, then 11-year-old Chanin Titan Viboonrungruang is precisely on this path, along with now 17-year-olds Panumart Mix Saengdee, Duangphet Dom Phomthep, and Mongkol Mark Boonpiem. ', 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. So the Norwegian police called off the recovery. Unsworth has a significant other in Thailand, a 40-year-old woman with whom he shares a house, according to the lawsuit. "The deeper part is very demanding, very cold water and narrow tunnels, and deep as well - it is the world's deepest sump that has been dived through," says Gronqvist. Harper, who had just returned from exploring Thai caves with Unsworth, brought two other divers, John Volanthen and Rick Stanton, to help with the rescue. But the mission had to be planned in secret. on March 16, 2022. at 11:55 am. Would they become upset and breathe more quickly, or make a silly mistake that could lead to another tragedy? We should mention Somphong Pong Jaiwong (of the same age group), in particular, is currently enrolled at Chiang Mai Technical College in the Si Phum sub-district, a cultural hub. But since leaving high school in the 1980s, hed quietly established himself as the pre Johns success hinges on an innovative approach, designing equipment and procedures to solve the unique difficulties presented by each cave. He was part of a team that attempted a cave rescue of Eric Establie in 2010, in the "But these two people should never have died in the first place.". john@volanthen.com, or visit the contact page. He soon discovered his friends had all had the same idea. Video, The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. cave diver The last soccer player was rescued July 8. Together with Mr. Unsworth, Mr. Harper, Mr. Volanthen, and Mr. Stanton put together the dive portion of the rescue plan that ultimately saved the boys, the lawsuit stated. (National Geographic) Then they spent a day setting up equipment, leaving 50 cylinders of gas along the route and, on the Plura side, an underwater habitat. The full story of Thailands extraordinary cave rescue, Mr Musk reignited the row earlier this month, Trump mistrial request denied in NY rape lawsuit, US rock band Aerosmith announce farewell tour, MasterChef Australia host Jock Zonfrillo dies, Explosion derails train in Russian border region, DeSantis-backed board votes to countersue Disney, Father tells how gunman opened fire on Texas home, Street piano confiscated as public 'break rules', NFL player's daughter, aged two, drowns in pool, Russia launches missile attacks on Ukraine. Get The Latest IndieWire Alerts And Newsletters Delivered Directly To Your Inbox. Although he later deleted the tweets and offered an apology to the diver, Mr Musk reignited the row earlier this month. asks Juan Reina. As for the rest of the boys, now-adults Ekkarat Biw Wongsukchan and Tee are still dedicated to soccer, Prachak Note Sutham is leading a good life alongside his girlfriend, and the engaged-to-be-married Phiphat Nick Phothi serves as a rescue center worker. Influencers: Profiles of a Partnership 2022, How to Pitch Stories and Articles to IndieWire, Where to Watch This Week's New Movies, from 'Are You There God? Stanton usually cave dives and conducts rescues with a partner, John Volanthen. Divers faced the challenge of the narrow caves as they tried to reach the boys. Equipped with a dry sense of humour and a passing physical resemblance to Hollywood tough guy Vin Diesel, Paakkarinen had been diving longer than any of the others. Thats because they stepped into this Thailand under-mountain system in relatively calm weather, only for swift heavy rains to trap them inside for 18 days, as charted in Amazon Primes Thirteen Lives. It thus took intense international efforts to ensure their safe rescue so now that its been a while, if you wish to learn more about what all the key people are up to these days, weve got you covered. Rick Stanton, from Coventry, The boys, ages 11-16, were found July 2 by Volanthen and Stanton, according to the lawsuit. Described as the A Team of diving rescues by the British Cave Rescue Council, he also planned and participated in the childrens rescue. He says that while people who have never been cave diving might think it's so dangerous that a few people will inevitably die, with proper training and planning, accidents such as this should never happen to experienced divers. The hero British diver who rescued 12 Thai boys and their football coach from a flooded cave is dating a local nurse, MailOnline can reveal. The moment you see the people who answer it, youll know why this ordeal had to be made into a movie. We should mention the cycling enthusiast is actually so respected in his field that hes now deemed a highly-sought speaker at any caving, diving, rescuing, and adventure conferences. The first amendment of the United States Constitution which protects free speech makes defamation a challenging legal action to bring. A post shared by John Volanthen (@jvolanthen), John seems to be based in Bristol at the moment, where he combines his expertise in electronics and diving to develop safer gear, runs marathons to stay in shape, and continues to explore as much as possible. Documentary follows the divers who risked it all in the Thailand By the time he reached Plura, he had to break a thin layer of ice to climb out of the water. Cave divers the world over need to have remarkable self-command, but Diving into the Unknown can be seen as a study in a character trait beloved of Finns - sisu, grit in the face of adversity. He was offered free legal services. The lawsuit states that with the tweet, Musk sought to tell the average reader that Unsworths failure to sue at the time was evidence that Unsworth is a pedophile. "I don't say that there was no risk to us," says Paakkarinen. The Brits behind the Thai cave boys search, In pictures: Thai artists' huge mural of cave rescue heroes, More than 100 police hurt in French May Day protests, Fighter jets are roaring over my home in Sudan, JP Morgan snaps up troubled US bank First Republic. His account had over 22.5 million followers during this time, the filing states. It concedes that Unsworth was not involved in the final planning stages of the rescue because he didnt have enough experience to make the dive. "And I am not afraid of the cave. The two divers were welcomed at Chiang Rai airport with a banner that read: The Worlds Best Cave Divers. The trip was at the extreme end of a dangerous sport. As an anesthesia specialist as well as an experienced cave diver, Dr. Richard Harry Harris is arguably the one individual whose expertise led to the Wild Boars soccer teams successful rescue. The first diver in the second team was Vesa Rantanen. He knew about the raised ledge known as Pattaya Beach where the boys and their football coach could have sought shelter, travelled into the caves shortly after they went missing and called in the two expert British divers who eventually found the trapped group. Subscribe to the BBC News Magazine's email newsletter to get articles sent to your inbox. These symptoms of decompression sickness - often called "the bends" - grew steadily more serious over the following hours. He recommended that the Thai government seek help from divers in the United Kingdom, and Unsworth called friend and fellow diver Rob Harper. The Plura caves are now open once again. cave This is a pocket of air that divers can use during decompression stops, allowing them to get out of the cold water, remove their masks and even eat. Coming to his standing, Richard presently resides with his wife Fiona and their three children James, Charlie, and Millie in the laid-back suburb of Goodwood in Adelaide, South Australia. "I decided to go forward, and that was a very good decision for me. "Everyone was waiting for the SMS," he says.