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Hey, I'm Mike Corey, host of Against the Odds, where we tell true stories of people triumphing in the toughest conditions. Since we launched the show a year ago, we've shared accounts of people surviving kidnapping, plane crashes, and shipwrecks. But one of our favorite stories was the one we debuted with, the harrowing rescue of a boys' soccer team trapped in a flooded cave in Thailand.
That tale really showcased humanity's capacity for ingenuity, determination, bravery, and the will to live. The story is so compelling that it's given rise to books, a documentary, and now a feature film directed by Ron Howard called 13 Lives. To coincide with that film's release this summer, we're re-airing our series on the Thai Cave Rescue.
It's late afternoon on Monday, July 2nd, 2018, and Rick Stanton is swimming through a submerged hellscape. He's 57 years old, and his tall, lanky body moves through the water smoothly, the glow from his LED headlamp illuminating the jagged walls of a narrow rock tunnel in front of him.
Under different circumstances, Rick might be enjoying himself right now. He's one of the best cave divers on the planet after all. And this tunnel is exactly the kind of underwater maze Rick loves to explore. But this isn't an adventure. It's a rescue mission. Nine days ago, a boys soccer team disappeared down here. Rick has to find them and get them out. If they're still alive.
Rick pauses and checks his levels. He's running low and needs at least a third of a tank to make it back to base. But he senses an area of the cave perhaps not completely flooded just ahead. If they're going to find anyone alive down here, it will be in an air pocket, just like that one. So he gestures to his dive partner, John Volenthen.
Rick's been diving with John since the early days. They met as members of their English cave diving club and set a world record for deepest cave dive in England. By day, John is an IT consultant who makes his own diving equipment. But in his other life, he's a superstar in one of the most dangerous sports in the world. Rick motions with his flashlight and swims ahead, emerging from the inky water into a dark chamber.
When he reaches the center, he lifts off his mask and he inhales. "You smell that, John?" "I sure do." Rick and John have come across some pretty unusual odors in their adventures. But this smells like shit. Like human waste. Someone is here. Rick pulls out a flashlight and scans around. Razor-sharp stalactites drip down from the ceiling. "Hello?" The hello bounces off the cave walls. Nothing. But then, something glints in the beam of his roving flashlight.
A pair of frightened eyes staring back at him. He can't believe it. They're in the shadows, a few feet in front of him. Shivering yet alive is a child. Hello? The child says in a trembling voice. Then, one by one, more silhouettes emerge from the dark. How many of you? 13? Brilliant. Rick looks back at John. My God, we found them. We found all of them.
For the past nine days, the whole world has been hoping and praying and holding their breath, waiting to see if these missing boys could be saved. And now, here they are. But before Rick can celebrate, it hits him. Locating the wild boar soccer team was only half the mission. Now, they're going to have to figure out how to cross a cave six miles long, underwater, and get them all out, alive.
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From WANDERiE, I'm Mike Corey, and this is Against the Odds. Human beings are incredibly resilient. In the toughest moments, we fight, we struggle, and we survive, often against all odds. For the past 10 years, I've traveled to over 70 countries. I've wandered the depths of the Amazon rainforest, cave-dived in the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. I've summited the highest mountain in Africa, and I've eaten a few bugs along the way.
But while I've done some crazy things, nothing I've faced can compare to the stories that these survivors have gone through. For our first series, we're immersing ourselves in the incredible story of the Tom Luang Cave Rescue. Imagine, what would you do if you were trapped in total darkness six miles inside a flooded cave? Would you be able to survive the isolation, the slow drip of dread?
That's the situation 12 young soccer players and their coach found themselves in in the summer of 2018, when the boys went exploring a system of caves after practice one day. Their story made headlines around the world and brought skilled divers from across the globe who risked their lives to execute a daring rescue, heralded as one of the most successful in history. But what most people don't realize is what it took
Over the next four episodes, I'm going to tell you how an elite team of cave rescue divers, military specialists, and countless regular people achieved the impossible. This is episode one, Lost. Rick Stanton drinks a cup of tea, warming himself from the fall gale as the cold English rain taps steadily on the cottage roof. It's October 3rd, 2010, just a few weeks since he and his dive partner, John Valanthan, set a world record distance dive in a cave in Pozoezo, Spain.
It took them two and a half days to go almost 5.5 miles, nearly the height of Mount Everest underwater. He's still glowing from the accomplishment, and yet his explorer's soul yearns for the next adventure. When the phone rings. Rick, I'm sorry to bother you, but a diver has gone missing in a cave in France. The Dragonier goat. The government needs your help. Rick's senses are immediately on high alert. He knows the Dragonier cave is big. He could be anywhere.
There must be divers in France who can get there more quickly. What about Eric Establi? He lives over there, and he knows those caves better than any of us. Shouldn't you call him first? Rick, it's Eric who's missing. Rick takes this in. He knows Eric. He's a volunteer rescue diver too. One of the best. What could have gone wrong? He hangs up the phone and calls John, his diving partner. Cave divers live by an oath. Always help when a fellow diver is in need.
Within a few hours, they're on a French military aircraft headed for La Bastille de Varac in France. This mission will be very different from their last dive a few weeks back. That dive was one for the record books. This dive is because someone's life is on the line. He just hopes by the time they arrive, it's not too late.
Rick and John arrive on site in the early morning of October 5th. There are already two dozen people at the location, including a French diving team who gives them the download. Yesterday morning, they dove 53 meters to the decompression station, but Eric wasn't there. Today, they went even further, 450 meters in, but still no sign of Eric.
This afternoon, it's Rick and John's turn. They will attempt to follow the guideline to the end. The farthest point a human has ever reached, 1,040 meters. A little over half a mile. At 3 p.m., Rick makes some final adjustments to his equipment and packs up the first aid kit. How long do you think this is going to take? At least six hours round trip. Could be as much as nine. It's really hard to tell. Rick nods. Let's hope we find him.
Rick submerges himself in the chilly water. The tingle of the cold on his neoprene wetsuit is both prickly, but also oddly reassuring. After all, for Rick and his fellow underwater cave divers, this is where, and how, they get in the zone. Yes, he's nervous, but he brushes off his nerves, and he pushes forward. 50 meters. 200 meters. 450 meters. Slipping into the deep, blue-black water.
When Rick gets to the right depth, he turns on his underwater scooter and he begins to glide through the vast submerged sump. The world down here is alien, foreboding, and magnificent. He passes by enormous beige rock walls with cracks running into infinity. It's like the moon, Rick thinks, if the moon were at the bottom of the sea.
Minutes blend into hours as Rick and John glide through what is literally one of the most inhospitable places on Earth. Rick was prepared for low visibility, but today is especially bad. The mud and silt are a swirling blanket, and they can hardly see more than a foot in front of them. And then, at approximately 780 meters, they hit a wall. Literally, their passage is blocked by what looks like a limestone and granite landslide.
Wedged into it is Eric's emergency scooter. It's a sign he might be alive. They figure he tried to dig across the passage. Maybe he found an air pocket beyond the wall and is holed up there now. They can't be sure. The rock wall is impassable. Rick motions to John. There's nothing more they can do. They need more people and a plan. They turn and head back towards the entrance. Back to dry land.
Over the next three days, more people arrive on site: additional divers, geologists, topographers, and geophysicists. They begin a multi-pronged rescue approach. They use excavating machines with large mechanical shovels to dig down into the bedrock, looking for a pit that will connect with the cave. Another way in. It's an arduous process. Rubble must be cleared, the hole must be stabilized and then reinforced as it grows.
Work continues deep into each night, single-focused on the task: get to Eric before it's too late. Meanwhile, a few of the dive teams explore neighboring underwater cavities. The Swiss team heads back to the 780-meter mark, looking for an opening in the wall. Maybe Eric is behind him, but no luck. On Saturday morning, October 9th, it's Rick and John's turn again. As usual, visibility underwater is poor. It makes going slow.
At around 2:30 p.m., they reach the wall where they found Eric's scooter. They examine the wall for cracks or possible passageways. And that's when John sees something behind the silty mist. It definitely wasn't here on their first dive. He moves closer and reaches out a glove. It's one of Eric's yellow dive bottles. He must be trapped nearby. Maybe he swam out and left this as a sign for rescuers. Hope is still alive.
On Monday, October 11th, Rick sits outside the entrance of Dragoneer Cave. It's been eight days since Eric Establi went missing, and he and John are preparing for their most harrowing dive yet. The Swiss divers found a narrow passage above the landslide obstruction. It's now almost certain that Eric is trapped somewhere beyond the rockfall. Today, Rick and John are going to try and squeeze through the opening. They'll use a rebreather system first, which cleans the divers' air.
The rebreathers will take them to the wall, and then they'll switch to diving tanks. This will allow them to cross through the constriction point with less equipment on their back. In the cave diving world, this technique is known as English, and who better to do it than two of the best English cave divers in the world? Progress is slow through the brown fog of silt, but Rick is patient. You have to be when on a mission like this.
While the low visibility can be disorienting, even trigger a fight or flight panic response, Rick has enough experience underwater to push anxiety away. Breathe slowly, in and out. Check the equipment, focus. And then there are the sounds. Snapping, crunching, clicks, whistles. Sound waves travel five times faster in water than they do in air.
Normally the waves vibrate bones in the inner ear, but underwater they go straight to the skull bones. Higher frequencies are magnified, lower frequencies are lost, and it's nearly impossible to determine if the sound is above or below you, or in another dimension entirely. It plays tricks on the mind. Do you hear that? There it is again. You think that's Eric? Nah, it's probably just an echo from the machines above.
When the men reach the familiar rock wall, John watches Rick run his hands slowly along the cracks in the upper wall, searching for the passage the Swiss divers told him about. And then finally, it pays off. The passage is narrow, but Rick thinks they'll be able to fit through once they drop their rebreathers and switch to the tanks. He looks back at John, and he flashes a thumbs up. And then, he pushes through.
Time slows down when traveling through the unknown. Rock walls grow tight and claustrophobic. Blackness presses in from all sides. To get through, a cave diver needs a precise blend of alertness and meditative breathing. In, out. Keep swimming. Check tank. Breathe. Here, the only source of light is Rick's headlamp. He moves slowly, carefully maneuvering around jagged outcroppings of rock.
One wrong move, it's in the pile tumbling onto both divers' heads. Finally, he senses the endpoint. The passage grows wider, and it opens. When he breaks through, it's a relief. He's in a bigger chamber now, where there's more room to breathe. John swims up beside him. Rick takes a moment to get his bearings, shining his light in a slow 360-degree circle. That's when he sees it. A shadowy figure, 70 feet down. A human body.
Rick swims closer to get a better look. The body is limp. It's Eric. He's dead. Rick looks back at John. This is no longer a rescue. It's a recovery. But there's another problem. The passage back through the wall, it's too small. If they try to pull Eric's body through, it could destabilize and all come crashing down around them, sealing off the exit entirely. It's with a heavy heart the divers turn back in the direction of base camp.
For now, they have to leave Eric's body here, in a watery grave. Not only did they not rescue Eric alive, they couldn't even bring back his body. Back on land, Rick watches the grim faces of the two dozen rescuers who are starting to clean up the site. Many of them knew Eric personally. He was a passionate explorer and a friend, with a wife and a 14-year-old son.
The French team hasn't given up retrieving Eric's body for his family, but it's the rainy season and it could be months before they make any real progress. Rick's quiet as he packs up. Finally, John leads in and puts his hand on Rick's shoulder. We did our best, mate. Rick is silent for a moment, collecting his thoughts. Yeah, sometimes our best just isn't enough.
They came here to rescue a fellow diver, but as often happens in this dangerous sport, when humans try to penetrate the Earth's darkest corners, nature wins. Rick hopes the result will be better next time. Years later, Rick and John will get their chance when 12 kids and their coach go missing in an underwater cave in Thailand.
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Head over to Symbiotica.com and use code ODDS for 20% off and free shipping on your subscription order. It's Saturday, June 23rd, 2018. A dewy tropical morning on a soccer field in the district town of Mai Sai, Thailand. Assistant coach Ake, short for Akepal Jantawong, paces back and forth on the sideline of a modest football pitch. He shouts encouragement to a scrimmaging team of young soccer players.
This is the Wild Boar Soccer Club, the pride and joy of this humble working class village snuggled up against mountains separating Myanmar from Thailand. The surrounding forest is a lush landscape of dense jungle, waterfalls, and limestone cliffs, both idyllic and imposing. Hustle up, Knight. Let's go. Come on. You got this. Coach Ake is 25 years old, soft-spoken, and an ex-Buddhist monk.
Ake grew up as an orphan. His whole family wiped out in an epidemic. In many ways, the Wild Boars are the family he never had. Right now, though, there's no time for sentimentality. They have to prepare for an upcoming regional match. He watches the oldest boy dribble down the center field. Knight, come on now. Drive down the center. Yes, now. Come on. Don't give up. Take the shot. Take the shot.
Knight is a slender, agile 16-year-old with a cool demeanor. He's only been on the team for one season, but he shows promises of talent. Score! Ake knows the last goal must be especially sweet for the boy. Today is his 16th birthday. Good hustle, Knight. Way to go. Good hustle. The scrimmage is almost over when the head coach leaves and asks Ake to close out the practice. Ake is always glad to help. Wild boars, bring it in.
Normally, the boys are sad when practice is over, but today they're excited. The team is planning to explore Tam Luang Nang Nong. It's a giant system of underground caves 6.2 miles long. It has hundreds of deep recesses, narrow passages, and tunnels that wind down under hundreds of meters of limestone strata.
Ake knows the boys are looking forward to it, but the cave takes hours to fully explore. It's noon now. He's not sure they'll be back by sundown. But the boys beg and plead. It's night's birthday, they say. Ake can't resist their excited faces. Okay, but we need to get back in time for dinner. Let's pack it up. Titan furiously pedals his bike up a rutted red road, trying to keep up with the older boys. He's the smallest boy of the group, and the youngest, at only 11 years old.
He's never been to the caves before, so he's both excited and he's nervous. In Thai, Tam Luang Nan Non translates roughly as "Great Cave of the Sleeping Princess." The legend is it's haunted by the spirit of a beautiful princess who fell in love with a stable hand. The two took refuge in the cave. One day, when the stable hand went looking for food, her father had him killed. She was so heartbroken, she killed herself.
It's said that the water that flows through the cave are the tears of a ghost. But Titan pushes the thought from his mind. He's not about to let his teammates see his nerves. If the ghost shows up, Coach Ake will protect them. When they arrive, Coach Ake tells the boys to leave their bikes in the bushes. And make sure to travel light. Some of the chambers are small. A few of the boys are so excited they even kick off their shoes. They're used to walking barefoot. Besides, they'll be back soon.
Titan scurries down the mud steps that lead to the entrance, then up again, past the shrine housing a life-size idol of the mythical Sleeping Princess. Many locals only enter the cave after paying respect to her. But today, there's no time. When Titan reaches the mouth, he stops. There's a sign there. It says, Danger. From July to November, the cave is in flooding season. When Coach A catches up, he tussles Titan's hair. Don't worry, he tells him. It's June 23rd, plenty of time before the rains come.
Titan ducks through a mossy opening and is greeted by a blast of air. It's cool. And musty. His eyes grow enormous as he moves into the main cavern. Giant stalactites drip down from the limestone ceiling, colored brick red, cream, and gray. He's never seen anything like this. It looks like a supervillain's secret lair. He stops, transfixed, peering into the murky shadows. What was that? Is that the ghost? He looks around, alarmed.
But now he's alone in the giant chamber. Where did everyone go? Then he hears a voice. "Titan, don't fall behind!" Night emerges from the darkness. "Let's go, Titan! The underwater city is up ahead!" The underwater city is what locals call a chamber, nearly three miles in. For these boys of Mai Sai, writing your name on the wall of the underwater city is the ultimate rite of passage. The boys traverse tunnels and openings as they move deeper into the cave system.
Some of them have been in the caves before with Coach Ake. For Titan, it feels like a new adventure. Each chamber is more stunning than the next. One has a ceiling nearly 75 feet high with jagged rock that looks like dragon's teeth. Another is so small, the boys barely fit. They have to get down low and crab walk to get through to the other side.
At a T-junction, they take a right and climb higher, then lower again. They swim through a cold channel, the older boys carrying the younger on their backs. An hour later, the boys reach the middle of a large cavernous chamber. Finally, the underwater city. What a great birthday gift, Knight thinks. First he scores a goal, now this, and later a birthday dinner with his friends and family. Pork crackling with dipping sauce, his favorite, and an emoji cake.
His stomach starts to growl. It's been a few hours since the last date. "Hey coach, is it almost time to go?" Coach Ake looks at his watch. "Well, it sure is. It's almost dinner. Your parents are going to be wondering where you are." Knight races ahead, scrambling through tunnels and crawl spaces, back the way they came. The floor feels slicker, wetter than when they first came in. He idly wonders where it all came from. A short distance before the tea section, Knight suddenly stops short.
A black pool is blocking the path, and it's growing. Coach, there's water. Ake quickly comes up behind him and shines his flashlight into the blackness. I don't remember water here. Coach, did we get turned around? Ake takes a moment to think. No, no, this is the way out. There's only one path. It's okay, boys. There must have been some rain. That's all. But that isn't all.
The water is moving faster, and it's starting to rise. Ake is confused. Where is it coming from? He looks around, but the cave's shadows begin to play tricks on his eyes. There's no way to tell. Ake quickly rummages through his backpack and pulls out a rope. And then he looks up at the oldest three boys. "Okay, I'm going to tie this around my waist. You hold on to the other end. I'm going to check it out. If I tug twice, pull me back. If I don't, that means I made it out and you follow behind.
A knot starts building in Knight's throat as Coach Ake wades into the dark, churning pool. He watches him turn back and smile reassuringly at the group. Knight does his best to smile back. Then Coach Ake takes a deep breath and disappears into the floodwaters. The only grown-up in the group is now gone. The roar of the current is deafening and Ake can't see a thing. He has no underwater headlamp or flashlight. Not that it would matter.
The current has kicked up so much silt and sediment, visibility is close to zero. He feels around for a wall. He knows there's a passageway somewhere, and beyond that, there's a way home. But the safe exit eludes him, and after what seems like an eternity, his lungs begin to burn. He's no match for the water. He tugs twice on the rope. He hears voices in the distance. They're muffled.
He's hugged on the rope. I felt it. Hurry, team. I felt it too. Coach Egg, we're pulling. We're pulling. We're taking him. Knight's heart is pumping so hard he thinks it's going to burst out of his chest. But when he sees the coach's face breaking the surface, he calms a bit. He's okay. Coach, what did you find? Egg scans the faces of the 12 scared children. Their lives are in his hands.
The sound of the rushing current is a soft roar now. Ake needs to get the boys to higher ground. They need to go deeper into the cave. Knight feels relief when they reach a sandier area with a big open space. It's called Pattaya Beach. Coach tells the boys the water was probably just a tide, that it will be gone by morning. Knight's not so sure he believes it, but what choice do they have?
Before bed, Coach Ake leads the boys in prayers. The soft chanting makes Knight feel better, but it also reminds him of home. He may be 17 years old now, almost grown up, but he misses his mom. Inside a humble two-story home in Mai Sai, Knight's mother, Superluck, puts the finishing touches on her son's birthday party. She pulls her long jet black hair into a tight bun.
Then she lays out the party plates and checks on the emoji ice cream cake to make sure it's not melting. Knight specifically requested it and everything needs to be perfect for her only son. The rain outside catches her attention. It's getting dark. She feels a quickening in her chest. Where is Knight? It's not like him to lose track of time. She yells to her husband who's watching a soccer match on TV. Knight was supposed to be home hours ago. I'm worried.
Her husband smiles. "He's 17 now. He's probably out just having fun. Don't worry too much. He's fine." But something in Superluck's gut tells her otherwise. She picks up the phone and calls Coach Nock, head coach for the Wild Boars. He was with the boys earlier at soccer practice. He must know where Knight is. But he doesn't. "I'm sure they're fine. Boys will be boys." But Superluck, she isn't so sure. "Maybe you can call the other parents and see if they know anything."
Then she hangs up and waits, her anxiety growing. After a few minutes, the phone rings again. This time, the coach sounds shaken. I spoke with one of the boys who was sick at home, and he said they were all supposed to go up to the cave today with Assistant Coach Hank. Superluck turns to the window. It's starting to pour. There's already a small flood in the yard. They can't be in the cave, could they? It's dangerous there.
Supalak yells for her husband. "Knights in the caves! We have to go!" Sheets of rain assault the ground like bullets on the hard-packed earth. A flash flood pours into the mouth of the cave. It's 10:00 p.m. The 13 members of the Wild Boar soccer team have been stuck in the cave for over eight hours. The food for night's party is sitting back home, cold.
Titan! Titan! Are you in there? Knight!
Coach Knock attempts to enter the cave. The parents strain to see him in the dark. When he comes out, he's carrying a pair of flip-flops. Knight's mom grabs them.
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Naronsak is the leader of the Chiang Rai province, home to the Tam Luang cave. It's his assistant. His voice is urgent. He tells him that 12 boys from Mai Sai and their soccer coach have gone missing in the Tam Luang, and their parents are frantic. He needs to come to the scene, and quickly. Naronsak is an engineer by trade. He is most comfortable following a set of rules. But there is no rulebook for this.
As he speeds to the cave, he realizes he's going to have to make up his own. When he arrives, he's surprised to see nearly 50 people gathered in the pouring rain at the mouth of the cave. A local ranger quickly approaches and gives him the brief. "We know they're inside, sir, but no one knows where they are. We can't even get in due to the rain. We're just hoping they found an air pocket."
The governor thinks for a moment. We'll need a rescue team right away. Police, rangers, anyone who knows anything about these caves. Yes, sir. An hour later, 20 volunteers rush into the cave, looking for the boys. Three hours later, they emerge, empty-handed, beaten back by the water.
They tell the governor the current is powerful and it's rising too fast. It was so dark they couldn't see anything. They called until their voices were hoarse, but there was no sign of the boys. The governor is out of options, at least for tonight. We have to pull back. We need people who know the cave. Go home and get some rest.
As the governor heads back to his car, a ranger calls out. Sir, there's an explorer here in Thailand who knows these caves. A British man named Vern. Maybe he can help. Naronsak takes a moment to consider. Call him. We'll need all the help we can get. It's June 24th, 10 a.m., and Vern Unsworth is slowly making his way through Chamber 4 of Tam Luang. He knows the layout of the cave like the back of his hand, but he's never seen anything like this.
Water is rushing along the sides of the tunnel in two small rivers. The governor said it might be impassable, but he didn't believe it. Now he's not so sure. Vern is 63 years old, and he's been exploring caves since he was 16. It's not just a hobby, it's a passion. He loves being the first to walk through a cave where no human foot has tread before. It makes him feel like an explorer.
The Tam Luang cave never fails to excite him with its chambers and passages and rock formations. He spends almost half the year in Chiang Rai. It's now a second home. The locals call him "Crazy Caveman" because of his obsession. But this is the first time he's seen his beloved cave in the wet season, and he doesn't even recognize it. He turns to his friend Lak, a local who sometimes explores with him. "This is weird, right?" Lak nods. "Yeah, the rain shouldn't be here this early."
When they reach the T-junction, they stop coal. They're expecting to see a large dry bowl filled with water. Instead, it's entirely flooded, overflowing. So where are the boys? They can't have gone right. They'd have been washed down. They must have gone left towards Pattaya Beach. As they make their way through the chamber, Fern starts to shout, "Boys! Coach! Anyone there?"
It's no use. The water is too deep. It swallows their voices. Throughout the day, more rescuers come, more attempts are made, and each time they're beaten back. Divers find themselves in water up to their necks. In some places, the water reaches the ceiling. And still, the rain keeps falling. If they stand any chance of finding the boys, they need qualified divers. Men with experience in search and rescue. The best Thailand has to offer.
The governor picks up the phone and calls the Thai Navy SEALs. It's late Sunday night and Rear Admiral Apicorn is getting ready for bed when he gets a call. It's the commander. We need the SEALs at the Tam Luang. 12 boys are missing. The governor needs our help. It's not a request. It's an order.
Apicorn is a tall muscular man with a lived-in face and military crew cut. He's head of the most elite branch of fighters in Thailand, the Thai Navy SEALs. They take on the country's most dangerous missions, from terrorism to pirate rescues.
Apricorn figures finding 12 boys in a cave will be one of their easier missions, a small in-and-out operation. They'll be home by dusk. But when they arrive on site at 4 a.m., Apricorn is surprised to see it's bigger than he thought. Nearly 100 people gathered at the entrance, including some local cameras and press. The cavers tell Apricorn that the water is high and the route is impassable. Apricorn assures them that his boys will get through.
There's only one problem. None of the SEALs have had any training in cave diving, much less performed a cave rescue. Given their lack of experience and the conditions of the cave, they're about to embark on what could be a suicide mission. But the SEALs don't know any of this. All they know is they need to find the boys and get them out alive.
By late afternoon, the entrance to the cave is ground zero for what is becoming an operation of over 100 people strong. Volunteers in reflective orange vests line the entrance. Park rangers, rescuers, and locals look on. The story of the trapped soccer team is making waves across Thailand. The governor's decision to bring in the Thai Navy SEALs has escalated the event to a full-fledged military operation. But Vern Unsworth knows bringing in the SEALs is no guarantee of finding the boys or of getting them out.
The seals simply don't have the experience to take on a mission like this. Their wetsuits are designed for warm tropical water, not the cold waters inside Tam Duong. They don't even have a map or guidelines to help them navigate the cave. And they're diving on a single air tank, which will only take them so far.
Fern waits outside the cave's entrance for the first group to return. He's with a local diver who's also worried the seals aren't prepared for a dive like this. When the seals emerge, they report that the going was rough. They got about two miles in to a part of the cave known as Pattaya Beach, but the boys weren't there. All they found was a green rope, and then they had to turn back. The team is exhausted, out of breath, but they want to go again.
Vern turns to his friend. "This is madness." His friend shakes his head. "The SEALs would die for these boys. We need to help them." Vern nods. He knows exactly who to call. Now, he just needs to convince the people in charge. The next day, Vern heads to the ranger station, which has become the de facto headquarters for the search. It sits 50 yards from the mouth of the cave. The small room is furnished with old plastic folding chairs and a single card table.
This is where the top brass gather for briefings. When Vern walks in, he finds Governor Naronsak on the phone, talking to press. When he hangs up, Vern catches his eye. "Governor, listen. We need a team of expert cave divers. Without them, those boys will die." Vern's voice is high, urgent, demanding. The governor says nothing. He turns on his heel and walks away.
Fern instantly knows he made a mistake. He's a foreigner here, and he just publicly scolded a Thai politician. You don't do that. He's going to have to find another way. Titan shivers in a dark corner of the cave. It's late afternoon now, on Tuesday, June 26, 2018, and the Wild Boar team has been trapped for almost three days. Titan has been trying his best not to panic every time the water starts to rise, and Coach takes them deeper into the cave.
Tonight, he's been given flashlight duty. The batteries are almost gone, but it's his job to keep watch as the other boys sleep. The shadows flickering along the cave walls scare Titan. "Knight! Knight, wake up! Do you hear that?" Knight rolls over, exhausted. "What is it, Titan?" "There's a rooster in the cave." "No, there isn't. It's just the cave playing tricks on you." Titan isn't so sure. He doesn't want Knight to go back to sleep. "Knight, what are we gonna eat at your party again?"
Cake. And Kentucky Fried Chicken? Yes, and pork crackling with dipping sauce. The idea of food hangs heavy in the air. Titan's stomach growls. Knight, what day is it now? There's a long pause. I'm not sure, Pipsqueak. Titan exhales, holding back tears, all the while keeping his ears open for the cave's mysterious rooster.
It's 9pm on Tuesday, June 26th. Billowing clouds race across the sky, and monsoon rains dump oceans of rainwater on the tin roof of the ranger station. Vern is back, this time for a meeting with the Minister of Tourism, and he has a new plan. He's going to be calm, convincing, and very careful not to offend. Sir, we need outside help. The seals can do a lot, but this is just too big.
The Minister of Tourism pauses for a moment to consider. "Who do you suggest?"
Vern takes out his phone and scribbles down two phone numbers. There are only a few people in the world qualified to take on a mission like this. Their names are Rick Stanton and John Volenthen. They're part of a specialized cave diving rescue team in England. They're the best in the world, sir. Get them here, and maybe we have half a chance. The tourism minister slowly takes the paper from Vern's outstretched hand. Then he picks up the phone.
It's around 4pm in London. Rick watches TV in his living room with his girlfriend, Siripon Buinyern, who goes by the nickname Amp. Amp is a pretty Thai nurse with bubbly energy who Rick met in England months before. Amp was the first to tell him about the missing boys when she got the news from home. They both know it's only a matter of time before Rick gets a call. Mr. Stanton, my name is Weerusat Kosurat. I'm the Minister of Tourism in Thailand. We'd like to request your assistance in a rescue operation.
When and where? "Misite Village. As soon as possible." When Rick hangs up the phone, he calls John. "Is it a go?" It's a go. We're booked on a 9pm flight. "Did they tell you what the situation is on the ground?" Expect the unexpected. Rick hangs up and starts putting together his customized dive kit. Amp nervously watches him pack. "I grew up near that cave. They call the formation above it the Mountain of the Sleeping Princess."
If you look at the ridgeline, it resembles a woman lying down. A lot of locals think the cave is haunted. Rick looks over at her and smiles. Well, let's just hope the sleeping princess doesn't wake up. This is episode one of our four-part series, The Thai Cave Rescue. If you like our show, please give us a five-star rating and a review.
And a quick note about our reenactments. In most cases, we can't know exactly what was said, but all our dramatizations are based on historical research. If you'd like to learn more about the Thai Cave Rescue, we highly recommend The Boys in the Cave by Matt Gutman. I'm your host, Mike Corey. Tamaya Payne wrote this episode. Our audio engineers are Marcelino Villalpando and Sergio Enriquez. Sound design is by Aaron May.
produced by Matt Almos, Davy Gardner, Emily Frost, and Brian White. Our coordinating producer is Matt Gant. Our managing producer is Tanja Thigpen. Our senior producer is Andy Herman. Our executive producers are Jenny Lauer-Beckman, Stephanie Jens, and Marshall Louis for Wondery.
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