(AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, File), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Thanks to a combination of GoPro video, 87 hours of footage captured by a Thai admirals wife, and brilliant re-creations that were shot with the actual divers in a pitch-black England water tank during COVID and cut into the archival material with surgical precision, the two-week rescue effort seems as if it were staged and storyboarded with this eventual documentary in mind. The three survivors were all hospitalised with decompression sickness. As was the custom of the group, no-one was in overall command, but the first diver to set off was Patrik Gronqvist, one of a trio of Finns who had discovered the passage between the caves the year before. He first started going to Thailand in 2011, where he explored and mapped caves, the documents stated. Unsworth has a significant other in Thailand, a 40-year-old woman with whom he shares a house, according to the lawsuit. 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. He isnt happy unless hes swimming around a claustrophobic hellscape and exploring some of the only alien terrain left on Earth. "Why do these guys who have families and everything, why do they go to these harsh places?" At the time of the accident he was teaching a diving course in Mexico. The following day Gronqvist and Paakkarinen returned to retrieve Jari Uusimaki's body, assisted at depth by another diver, Jani Santala. World-renowned for his rescue and recovery work in caves, Stanton had a feeling he would be asked to travel to Plurdalen to retrieve the bodies - he had done a recovery there in 2006 - and had already started to find out what he could. 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. 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.. 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. 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. In February 2014 two divers died at a depth of more than 100m in a huge cave system in Norway. Did this woman die because her genitals were cut? The lawsuit seeks $75,000 (57,000) in compensation and an injunction against Mr Musk to stop further allegations. 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. British divers at heart of Thai cave rescue among best in world | Thailand | The Guardian. 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. At such depths and temperatures, a tear in a dry suit on the sharp cave floor could result in death. "I don't say that there was no risk to us," says Paakkarinen. The billionaire also said he hoped Mr Unsworth would sue him. 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. Its a portrait of incredible generosity that leaves behind a visceral understanding of where that generosity ends. Explore in 3D: The dazzling crown that makes a king. Did this woman die because her genitals were cut? Divers faced the challenge of the narrow caves as they tried to reach the boys. 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. Tesla did not respond to requests for comment Monday. On the third day, 24 March, the divers began the recovery itself, slipping once again beneath the icy lid of Plura, accompanied by underwater camera operators. FILE- In this June 14, 2018, file photo, Tesla CEO and founder of the Boring Company Elon Musk speaks at a news conference in Chicago. On the other hand, we have Adul Dul Samon, the only English speaker of the trapped 13 and hence the one to communicate with the initial rescue group, who has since made his way to the US. The group held a moment's silence in the beautiful cave. The trip was at the extreme end of a dangerous sport. The subsequent fortnight was a whirlwind. The two divers were welcomed at Chiang Rai airport with a banner that read: The Worlds Best Cave Divers. He had trained both the victims and counted them as good friends. So the Norwegian police called off the recovery. And about 90m above the cave's vaulted ceiling lies your exit - a crack in the collapsed side of a hill. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Where is Water Engineer Thanet Natisri Now. Huotarinen seemed to be starting to panic, which meant he risked breathing too fast. Krisher reported from Detroit. British divers John Volanthen and Rick Stanton were the two divers who first discovered the 12 boys and their coach in the cave system. This time they took no chances. 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. 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. But this advantage was offset by the fact that the men knew the victims they would be rescuing. 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. 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. IndieWire is a part of Penske Media Corporation. "He was pivotal to the entire operation," said British diver Rick Stanton. Harry Harris lives in Goodwood, South Australia, with his wife, Fiona, with whom he has three kids- James, Charlie, and Millie. 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. 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. 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. Where is Dr. Richard Harris Now? At that point Gronqvist, a firefighter by trade, made Jari Huotarinen's wife a promise. 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. 'The Rescue' real people: Cave divers tell their stories - Los Angeles He said "this was completely uncharted, unprecedented territory and nothing like this has been done." Volanthen and his diving partner, Rick Stanton who together held the record for diving the greatest depth in a British cave, 76m offered their services. 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. 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. 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. Although he later deleted the tweets and offered an apology to the diver, Mr Musk reignited the row earlier this month. We hear the clanking of their gas cylinders and the intermittent whirring of underwater scooters. "And I am not afraid of the cave. 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. The pair first clashed over Mr Musk's offer of a mini-submarine to help with the cave rescue. Did you know that one of the experts that rescued the trapped Thai schoolboys was a hero firefighter and cave diver from Coventry? But it took me at least 15 minutes to get past that dead diver.". asks Juan Reina. These two unlikely heroes, along with a handful of other people who are roped into the cause over the course of the movie, feel a personal responsibility to save these kids because they know they might be the only people in the world who are capable of getting the job done. Later on Twitter, Musk wrote Bet ya a signed dollar its true.. John was further made a Member of the Order of the British Empire, yet he hasnt let any of these aspects affect his work as a South and Mid Wales Cave Rescue Team Member or a senior IT consultant at Comparket. Stanton usually cave dives and conducts rescues with a partner, John Volanthen. Mr. Unsworth has never engaged in an act of pedophilia. In Diving into the Unknown, we do not see any of the divers collapsing into tears, or talking emotionally about lost friends. Eventually he fielded a Skype call from the British cave diver Rick Stanton. So the Norwegian police called off the recovery. john@volanthen.com, or visit the contact page. Stanton was also part of a team that attempted a cave rescue of Eric Establie, in the Dragonnire Gaud Cave near Labastide-de-Virac in the Ardche region of France, in 2010 which was ultimately unsuccessful. There is also the possibility of equipment failure, and hypercapnia - carbon dioxide poisoning. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. ', 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 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. 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. Paakkarinen and Gronqvist continue the descent alone. It's their calling. 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. 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. Another way of putting it would be that it must be proved that the defendant knowingly lied with the intention of harming the plaintiff. Described as the A Team of diving rescues by the British Cave Rescue Council, he also planned and participated in the childrens rescue. 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. 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". He finally emerged from the cave in the early hours of the next day, more than 11 hours after setting off on a dive that was supposed to take five hours. In the cave-diving world, discovering how caves are linked together is a weighty achievement, one of the ultimate goals of the whole sport. How would they react when they came to the site of the accident, and had to handle their corpses? Dont miss out on opportunities to do something different, something outside the box, the veteran diver and motivational speaker said during his acceptance for the latter in 2019. John began caving with the scouts at the age of 14 and continues to push the limits of underwater cave exploration to this day. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. Looking upset, he explains in the film that he slept badly and is simply not in the right frame of mind for the operation. Photographs courtesy of RICK STANTON He never married, and his house in England, cluttered with home-made diving equipment, once led a Sunday Telegraph journalist to describe him as not the Instead he turned around and swam the long way back to the starting point. A British cave diver is suing tech billionaire Elon Musk for defamation after his repeated claims the diver is a child abuser. 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. Read More: Where is Water Engineer Thanet Natisri Now? "It is very easy to judge them if you have never explored that world, if you've never been on the journey with them. Cave divers use "rebreathers" which artificially absorb the carbon dioxide they exhale, but these can become overloaded if the divers start breathing quickly, and at depth it is more difficult for them to control their breathing. Cave All of this makes for anther super entertaining multiplex documentary that has crossover potential written all over it (all the way down to the truly wretched inspirational song that plays over the closing credits in a transparent Oscar bid), but The Rescue doesnt let its action movie urgency interfere with the seriousness of whats at stake. To Gronqvist's horror, his friend died in front of his eyes - but getting agitated would put Gronqvist himself at risk of hypercapnia. Rick Stanton, left, and John Volanthen had been cave diving together for decades before being called upon to help with the Thai rescue. John has been involved in a number of search, rescue, and recovery incidents in the UK, Ireland, France and further afield. Advertisements. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? 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. The boys, ages 11-16, were found July 2 by Volanthen and Stanton, according to the lawsuit. Mr. Unsworth is not a child rapist, the lawsuit stated, adding that Unsworth has never been married to a minor. 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? "I've been thinking about this every single night since I walked out of here," Gronqvist says evenly. He also knew that at some point the second group of divers would find Huotarinen's body blocking their way. 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. He eventually met up with Gronqvist, but Rantanen's struggle to pass Huotarinen's body had added three hours to his decompression time. The Plura caves are now open once again. If they asked the Norwegian police for permission, it was certain to be refused. Unsworth is not a pedophile. Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. 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. Read about our approach to external linking. "It was evident that it was going to be quite a protracted affair, lots of dives, down deep and cold - and that was really beyond our remit," says Stanton. National Geographic will release it in theaters later this year. Johns success hinges on an innovative approach, designing equipment and procedures to solve the unique difficulties presented by each cave. But unlike Vesa Rantanen, Kankanen decided not to push through to Steinugleflaget. "Carbon dioxide absorbs into the bloodstream much faster and easier at depth," says Gronqvist. 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. 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. normal' for Thai cave rescuer who lives in Clare Crucially however, Vasarhelyi and Chin also know their limits. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. For Rick Stanton, the British diver from the first, aborted, recovery mission, the Finns' effort was well-planned and executed, if "a little bit out-there in terms of danger". 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. But if you want to know the Brits entire personal account of the rescue, you can read it in his nail-biting May 2021 book Thirteen Lessons that Saved Thirteen Lives: The Thai Cave.. Rick Stanton - Wikipedia 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. John has been involved in exploring and mapping caves throughout the world, including the UK, Europe, and Malaysia. Is climate change killing Australian wine? The lawsuit filed in Los Angeles federal court Monday seeks more than $75,000 in damages and a court order stopping Musk from making further allegations. Best known as the first diver to locate and contact the missing youth Thai soccer team alongside long time diving partner Rick Stanton. "I told her that they are not going to be left there, that we would think of something.". But the mission had to be planned in secret. There was nothing for it but to continue to Steinugleflaget - very slowly. He was part of a team that attempted a cave rescue of Eric Establie in 2010, in the 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. 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. Mr. Get The Latest IndieWire Alerts And Newsletters Delivered Directly To Your Inbox. Having explored underwater caves for decades, John relates lessons in risk management, problem solving and teamwork to a worldwide business audience. 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. Musk and engineers from his rocket company, SpaceX, built a small submarine and shipped it to Thailand to help with the rescue. On 6 February 2014, two divers cut a triangular hole in the ice at Plura, and, encased in waterproof dry suits and diving equipment, slipped into the water. "Everyone was waiting for the SMS," he says. This Article is related to: Film, Reviews and tagged free solo, Reviews, Telluride Film Festival, The Rescue. Described as not the most domesticated of men, Stanton considers cave-diving to be a thinking activity which Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! "Quite the opposite, it is one of the most challenging dives that you can do, this Plura traverse. 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. But if you are highly trained and experienced - and an insatiably curious individual - you might continue on a course that quickly plunges much deeper, becoming narrow and difficult, through ice-cold, pitch-black water. John played a key role in the Tham Luang Thailand cave rescue. It was a preposterous plan: Behind the scenes of the Thai Stewart Cook/Shutterstock Rick Stanton with 'Thirteen Lives' star Viggo Mortensen.. The Plura caves, a still from the recent documentary Diving into the Unknown, Vesa Rantanen, who was 33 in 2014, has been cave diving since 2007, Sami Paakkarinen, who was 34 in 2014, has been cave diving since 2004, The dazzling beauty of the long air chamber near Plura, where Paakkarinen and a group enjoyed a picnic last year. 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. "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. 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. 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. All Rights Reserved. A new documentary, currently on release in Finland, depicts what happened. 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. Thai cave rescue: Rick Stanton says he is 'not a hero' But after descending about 85m Kankanen returned. The only alternative was to perform the traverse from Plura all over again, and thus gain access to the victims from the other side. 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 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. You quickly cotton to the fact that some artifice must be involved, and yet not even the films most heart-stopping footage is so over the line that your brain completely disengages from the reality of whats on screen. How Ben Afflecks Air Makes the Case for Movie Theaters to Build Buzz, How Succession Trapped the Roy Family in a VIP Room of Grief in Episode 3, Movies Shot on Film 2023 Preview: From Oppenheimer to Killers of the Flower Moon and Maestro, How Gene Kelly and Singin in the Rain Taught John Wick to Fight, The 50 Best Movies of 2022, According to 165 Critics from Around the World, All 81 Titles Unceremoniously Removed from HBO Max (So Far), 10 Shows Canceled but Not Forgotten in 2022. 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. Norwegian police believe Uusimaki panicked after he reached the scene of the first accident. Read about our approach to external linking. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 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. 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. As soon as Amp The cave divers who went back for their friends But Stanton has an unusual hobby: He loves to cave-dive. The men's breathing, the bubbles released from their equipment, and the occasional muffled command complete the soundtrack. 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 fifth and final diver, Kai Kankanen, tried unsuccessfully to come to Uusimaki's aid. That feat is all the more impressive considering the insanity of the plan that Dr. Richard Harris devises to get the kids out of the cave without drowning. And when he learned of the soccer team trapped in Tham Luang, he didnt hesitate to call them starting with record-holding cave-diver (and IT consultant) John Volanthen, who becomes his stalwart right-hand man. Be confident in your abilities and ignore your detractors.. 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). cave diver Interviews with leading film and TV creators about their process and craft. Every once in awhile, people are caught by rising water and the conditions can quickly become deadly. Such as watching the Thai Navy Seal footage of the boys as John Volanthen draws on his skills as a father and scout leader to positively encourage the boys in The moment you see the people who answer it, youll know why this ordeal had to be made into a movie. 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 was another six months before the group was told that they would face no charges for their illegal dive. British cave divers Richard Stanton (2nd-L), Robert Charles Harper (3rd Video, The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. These symptoms of decompression sickness - often called "the bends" - grew steadily more serious over the following hours. 2023 BBC. The Norwegian authorities took statements from them and closed the Plura cave. To get in touch, please email 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 was diving with his good friend Jari Huotarinen, who was attempting the traverse for the first time. 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. Up until the summer of 2018, not many people had heard of Stanton. Then Gronqvist steers a dive scooter towards the surface, towing the body, while Paakkarinen follows to help manouevre it. 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. 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. Rebecca Ratcliffe in Bangkok Sun 10 Oct 2021 01.45 EDT In October 2020, Rick Stanton readied his wetsuit, dive harness, cylinders and regulators.