But unlike Vesa Rantanen, Kankanen decided not to push through to Steinugleflaget. Paakkarinen spoke to the three survivors on the phone from hospital, then spent the day walking around his hotel courtyard. 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 Coventry, England resident is a former firefighter with 25 years of experience, which he admits helps him in every expedition as well; thus, his aim is to provide insights to others for safer, better adventures. He was using his torch to signal distress. Divers faced the challenge of the narrow caves as they tried to reach the boys. Free Solo filmmakers E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin further cementing their reputation as rock stars of the extreme non-fiction cinema scene with their most absorbing and ingeniously crafted stress-fest to date so intimately embed us with the ragtag team of cave divers who attempted the impossible that we feel worthy of a medal just for watching them do it. The two divers were welcomed at Chiang Rai airport with a banner that read: The Worlds Best Cave Divers. Like his fellow British divers, Chris Jewell is a recipient of the Queens Gallantry Medal, yet unlike them, he has also been honored with the first-ever Medal of Valor by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors. Cave divers Rick Stanton and John Volanthen inside cave (Credit: National Geographic) But what we get extra here are the nuggets the small, more intimate moments. British divers at heart of Thai cave rescue among best in world | Thailand | The Guardian. At that point Gronqvist, a firefighter by trade, made Jari Huotarinen's wife a promise. However, this incident is nothing but bittersweet for him because he learned his father passed away shortly after the mission came to a positive close on July 10, 2018. He was diving with his good friend Jari Huotarinen, who was attempting the traverse for the first time. Video, The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, Listen to Vesa Rantanen and Sami Paakkarinen, Go to the Diving into the Unknown website, 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. The moment you see the people who answer it, youll know why this ordeal had to be made into a movie. "I don't say that there was no risk to us," says Paakkarinen. Would they become upset and breathe more quickly, or make a silly mistake that could lead to another tragedy? The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. The Finnish president awarded Gronqvist the First Class Medal of the White Rose of Finland, after he was nominated by his colleagues in the fire service. He also worked with Mortensen and the other actors to make their movements feel authentic to cave diving. And our white bread heroes who, similar to Free Solo protagonist Alex Honnold, have trouble communicating with other people as it is find themselves lost in translation between the Royal Thai Navy and the U.S. Special Forces whove shown up for some extra muscle. That's why I wanted to take the viewers on that journey. 2023 BBC. But Paakkarinen says that leaving bodies in the Norwegian cave would have been like leaving victims of a car crash by the side of the road. Paakkarinen says that he sensed the Norwegian police were pleased that they had recovered the bodies, but "they let us know that we had broken some rules and they had to investigate that". Read about our approach to external linking. Gronqvist gave him a cylinder of gas to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in his system, but while Huotarinen was switching mouthpieces, he started helplessly swallowing water. The lawsuit explains Unsworths role in the rescue, saying that on June 23, when the soccer players became trapped, several Thai officials called and asked him to go to the cave as soon as possible. If you dive into this strange pond, known as Plura, and swim underground for half a kilometre, you will emerge into a long, colourful cave. Best known as the first diver to locate and contact the missing youth Thai soccer team alongside long time diving partner Rick Stanton. He said "this was completely uncharted, unprecedented territory and nothing like this has been done." You may want to read Twitters cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. Mr Stanton (left) and his British dive colleague John Volanthen (right) were the first to reach the 12 boys and their coach inside the Luang Nang Non Cave, with assistance from fellow diver Rob Harper (centre) who flew out June 26 at the request of Thai authorities A British diver who helped to save 12 boys and their football coach from a flooded cave in Thailand has insisted he was not a hero. He also said Musk can stick his submarine somewhere where it hurts., The lawsuit alleges that Musk, apparently angered by Unsworths remarks, began a campaign to destroy his reputation by publishing false and heinous accusations of criminality against him to the public., In a series of tweets July 15, Musk, who personally delivered the submarine to the cave, wrote that he never saw Unsworth and challenged him to show a video of the final rescue. [email protected], or visit the contact page. Mortensen becomes Rick Stanton, one of the worlds greatest cave divers, a man who feels the hefty yoke of moral obligation and the burden of responsibility to save Diving hobbyists can climb out of the water here to admire the grotto, before returning to Plura. They had a distinct advantage over the British rescue team - they had performed the traverse before, so felt confident they could reach the bodies from the Plura side, cut Huotarinen's body free and guide both of them to the surface. Described as the A Team of Dul, Mark, Phonchai Tee Khamluang, and their assistant coach Eakapol Eak Chantawong were stateless when the incident occurred, but they were granted complete Thai citizenship on September 26, 2018. He was The filing also says Mr Unsworth is seeking "punitive damages" as well as the compensation, "to punish him for his wrongdoing and deter him from repeating such heinous conduct". 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? He works as a part-time Specialist More importantly, though, Chris works as the Head of Professional Services at Access Group and is an active member of the British Cave Rescue Council to continue his explorations. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. Unsworth has a significant other in Thailand, a 40-year-old woman with whom he shares a house, according to the lawsuit. Jill Lawless contributed to this report from London. Retired firefighter Rick Stanton is an almost 60-year-old British man who vaguely resembles the Hound from Game of Thrones, and seems to possess equivalent social graces. As if thats not enough, he has even obtained a Bravery Award from his home county of Somerset, South West England he resides in the village of Cheddar here with his wife, Laura Trowbridge. Nobody has made a new attempt at the traverse, but Sami Paakkarinen says for him it's only a matter of time. A plaintiff (the person bringing the case) has to prove the statement made about them is false and that it has caused them material harm. Its a portrait of incredible generosity that leaves behind a visceral understanding of where that generosity ends. A British diver who helped rescue soccer players trapped in a Thai cave is suing Musk, alleging that the Tesla CEO falsely accused him of being a pedophile. "There are lots of questions - the original questions - about where the cave goes, and where the water comes from, and they are still there," he says. The whole operation had taken 101 hours of diving time. Rain is slatting down across the entire cave system, causing the water levels to rise with every passing second. Stewart Cook/Shutterstock Rick Stanton with 'Thirteen Lives' star Viggo Mortensen.. It's their calling. Vernon Unsworth helped with the rescue of 12 Thai teenagers from a flooded cave in July. The lawsuit filed in Los Angeles federal court Monday, Sept. 17, seeks more than $75,000 in damages and a court order stopping Musk from making further allegations. The destination for all five men was Steinugleflaget. To get in touch, please email It proved a more difficult day than they anticipated. He recommended that the Thai government seek help from divers in the United Kingdom, and Unsworth called friend and fellow diver Rob Harper. "You always have to do your best to get your friends out, wherever they are.". Mr Unsworth filed the suit in California. Eventually he fielded a Skype call from the British cave diver Rick Stanton. "I told her that they are not going to be left there, that we would think of something.". The divers head towards the site of the accident, Sami Paakkarinen calls the Norwegian authorities to inform them of the illegal rescue, The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. 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. The deeper the dive, the longer the decompression. Be confident in your abilities and ignore your detractors.. When Gronqvist had made his original traverse of the Plura caves in 2013, he had done it with Kai Kankanen, and a third team member, Sami Paakkarinen. And yet, the documentarys ample suspense is never so overwhelming that it obscures this storys poignant sentiment, nor is the selfless heroism on display so overwrought that it washes away the bittersweet aftertaste The Rescue leaves behind. So the Norwegian police called off the recovery. The first diver in the second team was Vesa Rantanen. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. The South African-born head of Tesla previously tweeted it was "strange he hasn't sued me" when Mr Unsworth said he was considering legal action. ', 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. Rick, 60, tells how he started dating Thai girl Amp Bangnoen when he was introduced to her by a military pal he had saved from a cave in Mexico. Where is Water Engineer Thanet Natisri Now. Mr Unsworth, in orange, provided information for the rescue, The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. Explore in 3D: The dazzling crown that makes a king. The Film Industry Lost Some Titans This Year What Happens Now? Harry Harris lives in Goodwood, South Australia, with his wife, Fiona, with whom he has three kids- James, Charlie, and Millie. The fifth and final diver, Kai Kankanen, tried unsuccessfully to come to Uusimaki's aid. "Everyone was waiting for the SMS," he says. 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. John has been recognised by a number of organisations for his cave rescue work: Record holding diver John Volanthen is best known for his participation in the Tham Luang cave rescue in Thailand. He actually continues to actively volunteer in a wide variety of search-rescue operations, all the while teaming up with charities like Operation Flinders Foundation as well as hosting his Real Risk Podcast. Richard is also an aspiring filmmaker and an author he co-wrote Against All Odds (November 2019) with Craig Callen and penned a childrens book Alfie the Brave (April 2022). The Rescue begins the day after the Wild Boars soccer team and their twentysomething coach have become trapped in the waterlogged recesses of the Tham Luang Nang Non cave after monsoon season arrives a full month early. Crucially however, Vasarhelyi and Chin also know their limits. 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. 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. In 2004 he was involved in the rescue of six British cavers who were trapped in a cave at the Alpazat caverns in Mexico for eight days. It's Me, Margaret' to 'R.M.N. But The Rescue ultimately isnt as fraught a story of people coming together to save 13 strangers from certain death as it is one about why people cant be moved to save 130 million strangers from a similar fate. VideoThe secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, LGBT troops take love for Eurovision to front line, Why an Indian comedian is challenging fake news rules. His account had over 22.5 million followers during this time, the filing states. The Plura caves are now open once again. "Last time I didn't know whether to come back up or stay down there," he adds, hinting at what Huotarinen's death has cost him. About an hour into the dive, shortly after the pair had swum through the deepest section and were about 110m lower than the cave entrance at Plura, Gronqvist realised that Huotarinen was not behind him. While most amateur divers might restrict themselves to dives of between 30 minutes and an hour, at a depth of 30m or so, the trip to Steinugleflaget would be a five-hour dive, with the aid of underwater scooters, to depths of more than 130m. The phrase "kaveria ei jateta" - "never leave a friend behind" - was used by Finnish soldiers, who put themselves in grave danger to recover the bodies of fallen comrades during the Winter War against the USSR in 1939-1940. At such depths and temperatures, a tear in a dry suit on the sharp cave floor could result in death. Tesla did not respond to requests for comment Monday. 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. At the end of the Plurdalen valley in central Norway a 35m-wide river rises abruptly out of the ground. Yes, Vasarhelyi and Chin have cobbled together a true life men-on-a-mission movie intense enough that even Michael Bay and Peter Berg should be able to recognize that no mega-budget dramatization could match up to it. This body was more buoyant and unwieldy than the first, and Paakkarinen came close to disaster when a part of the cave collapsed on him. After a brief effort to free the body, he forced himself to calm down. Read about our approach to external linking. So the Norwegian police called off the recovery. Advertisements. But he remains troubled by the events in the Plurdalen valley. "And I am not afraid of the cave. A British diver who helped to save 12 boys and their football coach from a flooded cave in Thailand has insisted he was not a hero. If they asked the Norwegian police for permission, it was certain to be refused. He first started going to Thailand in 2011, where he explored and mapped caves, the documents stated. Musk called Unsworth a pedo in a tweet to his 22.5 million followers after Unsworth criticized Musk in a July 13 television interview with CNN about the rescue. Stanton says that he and his fellow divers considered it, and decided it was too risky. All content John Volanthen 2019 | Website by, United Kingdom and Commonwealth, George Medal, National Geographic Adventurer of the year. 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. Mr Unsworth told CNN that the submarine was "just a PR stunt [that] had absolutely no chance of working" and said Mr Musk could "stick his submarine where it hurts". For this reason, Paakkarinen says they tried to process "all the emotional stuff" in the month leading up to the rescue, so that when the time came they could focus on the task in hand, working almost like robots. Stephens did not say when Unsworth planned to file a claim in the British courts. The trip was at the extreme end of a dangerous sport. The Rescue is first and foremost a riveting, immersive, stomach-in-your-throat documentary about the youth soccer team who were trapped deep within a flooded cave in Northern Thailand during the summer of 2018. Sorry pedo guy, you really did ask for it, Musk tweeted. "It's not that they are just enjoying the thrill of risking their lives - there's more to it than that. But this advantage was offset by the fact that the men knew the victims they would be rescuing. "If we had done a practice run then, things would have been different. The kids are already stuck (and possibly already dead), the Thai Navy SEALs trained only in open-water diving are thwarted by a drowned labyrinth of mud and darkness at every turn, and how to reach the inner cavities of the cave system is an open question posed to the rest of the planet. But the mission had to be planned in secret. He also knew that at some point the second group of divers would find Huotarinen's body blocking their way. Did you know that one of the experts that rescued the trapped Thai schoolboys was a hero firefighter and cave diver from Coventry? Mr Unsworth did not take part in the dives but had previously explored the cave complex extensively. Rick has deliberately never married or started a family because his work is his whole life, which he touched upon in his June 2021 book Aquanaut: A Life Beneath the Surface The Inside Story of the Thai Cave Rescue.. Rick Stanton MBE is a British civilian widely regarded as one of the most accomplished cave divers. Cave diving is the activity of exploring flooded cave systems with scuba gear for recreation or scientific exploration. pic.twitter.com/PSRzzaXYfJ, CU Coventry (@CUCoventry) July 16, 2018, Like John, Rick too has received the Royal Humane Societys Bronze Medal, the George Medal, the Pride of Britain honor, the Queens Gallantry Medal, and an honorary degree from the University of Bristol. "It is very easy to judge them if you have never explored that world, if you've never been on the journey with them. The active member of the British Cave Rescue Councils international team has 30+ years of experience, along with national/world records under his belt, making it clear hes perfectly qualified for his job. Two teams of support divers would work at shallower levels at both ends of the traverse, while Gronqvist, Paakkarinen and Kankanen would dive once again to the deepest section of the cave to raise the bodies up. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Because he had stopped to help his friend, spending about 20 minutes at a depth of 110m, Gronqvist knew he would have to spend hours making additional decompression stops before surfacing. 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. "I decided to go forward, and that was a very good decision for me. The truth has now got its boots on and Elon Musk is being brought to account for repeatedly attacking and taunting the good name of an ordinary spelunker: Vernon Unsworth who answered the call and (with others) put his life on the line to help rescue the 13 trapped in the caves in Thailand, he said. In fact, not only does he continue to be an active diving member of the Cave Rescue Organisation, but he has also served as a consultant on projects related to the Thai case. The subsequent fortnight was a whirlwind. "Quite the opposite, it is one of the most challenging dives that you can do, this Plura traverse. Last but not least, the then-25-year-old monk turned coach Eakapol Eak Jantawong has since established his own football training facility called the Eakapol Academy. A British cave diver is suing tech billionaire Elon Musk for defamation after his repeated claims the diver is a child abuser. Stanton usually cave dives and conducts rescues with a partner, John Volanthen. Stanton is on [] ", Listen to Vesa Rantanen and Sami Paakkarinen speaking to Outlook on the BBC World Service, Follow William Kremer on Twitter @williamkremer. 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. 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. Although there are two victims here, and a sad accident has happened - when you go through this journey with them, I hope people understand why they do this.". He had trained both the victims and counted them as good friends. He was the first foreign rescuer to arrive. It was a preposterous plan: Behind the scenes of the Thai cave rescue Rick Stanton was one of the divers who saved 12 boys and their football coach from a 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. Get The Latest IndieWire Alerts And Newsletters Delivered Directly To Your Inbox. Krisher reported from Detroit. "My options were to try to pass that dead diver, or to turn around and try to do a very long dive back, go back to the deepest section and try to survive to the surface. The device wasnt used and in the interview, Unsworth called it a PR stunt and said it wouldnt have worked to free the boys who were trapped in the flooded cave. Obsessively. A post shared by Richard Harris (@richard.harris_). He actually prefers to keep every aspect of his life away from the limelight, so we regrettably dont know much about him apart from the fact he specializes as a rope-access technician in cave diving. Read about our approach to external linking. Rick Stanton, from Coventry, The Rescue premiered at the 2021 Telluride Film Festival. Photographs courtesy of RICK STANTON 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. Mr. Unsworth is not a child rapist, the lawsuit stated, adding that Unsworth has never been married to a minor. Having explored underwater caves for decades, John relates lessons in risk management, problem solving and teamwork to a worldwide business audience. At the time of the accident he was teaching a diving course in Mexico. 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. As part of an International team, John set a world record for the longest cave diving distance from surface, well over 10km. All three survivors would be involved, plus Paakkarinen. Rebecca Ratcliffe in Bangkok Sun 10 Oct 2021 01.45 EDT In October 2020, Rick Stanton readied his wetsuit, dive harness, cylinders and regulators. Avengers references are made, but the way this team is assembled smacks more of Armageddon (especially when one of the cave-divers mentions that he ducked out of a stag party to catch his flight). Holding your breath through Vasarhelyi and Chins harrowing climax, its impossible not to think of all the people who might still be alive today if more of us could recognize that obligation when it called. All Rights Reserved. But then again, we have the best knowledge of the place, we are the original explorers of the place, we know the place like our own pockets.". He felt unable to go in the water to teach, but he was unsure what he could usefully do. But it took me at least 15 minutes to get past that dead diver.". 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. This time they took no chances. 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. Described as the A Team of diving rescues by the British Cave Rescue Council, he also planned and participated in the childrens rescue. In other words that the person making the statement knew it to be false and went on to make it. Then Gronqvist steers a dive scooter towards the surface, towing the body, while Paakkarinen follows to help manouevre it.
Jeffrey Donovan House,
Actions To Take When Capture Is Imminent Include,
Why Are Flights To St Lucia So Expensive,
Articles R