Thai cave diver Rick Stanton reflects on the mission to save 13 It was another six months before the group was told that they would face no charges for their illegal dive. Sorry pedo guy, you really did ask for it, Musk tweeted. 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. Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Is climate change killing Australian wine? British divers John Volanthen and Rick Stanton were the two divers who first discovered the 12 boys and their coach in the cave system. Thai cave rescue: Rick Stanton says he is 'not a hero' Every once in awhile, people are caught by rising water and the conditions can quickly become deadly. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 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. 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. 'The Rescue' real people: Cave divers tell their stories - Los Angeles In Diving into the Unknown, we do not see any of the divers collapsing into tears, or talking emotionally about lost friends. 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. 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. Rick Stanton Now: Where is the Cave Diver Today? Update Rick Stanton, from Coventry, Having explored underwater caves for decades, John relates lessons in risk management, problem solving and teamwork to a worldwide business audience. normal' for Thai cave rescuer who lives in Clare Diver who helped with Thai cave rescue sues Elon Musk Why was Elon Musk at the Thai cave rescue? Hypercapnia can be deadly, but even a mild case may cause confusion and disorientation, which in a deep cave is liable to have serious consequences. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. The entrepreneur posted footage of the vehicle on Twitter and suggested it could be used to help save the trapped teens. 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. It was a preposterous plan: Behind the scenes of the Thai The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 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. He eventually met up with Gronqvist, but Rantanen's struggle to pass Huotarinen's body had added three hours to his decompression time. "Everyone was waiting for the SMS," he says. Its a wonder how Vasarhelyi and Chin found this guy before Werner Herzog could invent him. 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. Unsworth has a significant other in Thailand, a 40-year-old woman with whom he shares a house, according to the lawsuit. The Rescue premiered at the 2021 Telluride Film Festival. He was This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. "Why do these guys who have families and everything, why do they go to these harsh places?" The three survivors were all hospitalised with decompression sickness. He was part of a team that attempted a cave rescue of Eric Establie in 2010, in the Mr. Best known as the first diver to locate and contact the missing youth Thai soccer team alongside long time diving partner Rick Stanton. From what we can tell, Jason Mallinson is not only a native of the large market town known as Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, England, but hes also still based in the same area. Rick Stanton, left, and John Volanthen had been cave diving together for decades before being called upon to help with the Thai rescue. A British cave diver is suing tech billionaire Elon Musk for defamation after his repeated claims the diver is a child abuser. Its a portrait of incredible generosity that leaves behind a visceral understanding of where that generosity ends. cave 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. There was nothing for it but to continue to Steinugleflaget - very slowly. 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. Diving hobbyists can climb out of the water here to admire the grotto, before returning to Plura. 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. Get The Latest IndieWire Alerts And Newsletters Delivered Directly To Your Inbox. Mr Unsworth, in orange, provided information for the rescue, The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. 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. 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. British divers at heart of Thai cave rescue among best in world Described as not the most domesticated of men, Stanton considers cave-diving to be a thinking activity which requires a lot of planning and needs a person to remain calm at all times. It also gives him the opportunity to explore places that no one else has been to before. Cave 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. 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. Cave Thai cave rescue heroes reveal they faced arrest after giving kids Vernon Unsworth helped with the rescue of 12 Thai teenagers from a flooded cave in July. 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. 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". But after descending about 85m Kankanen returned. cave (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, File), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. At such depths and temperatures, a tear in a dry suit on the sharp cave floor could result in death. In all, a team of 27 people descended on Plurdalen on 22 March 2014 - 17 Finns and 10 Norwegians. Explore in 3D: The dazzling crown that makes a king. 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. Then in a second email to BuzzFeed, Musk accused Unsworth of being a liar and said he wasnt on the cave dive team. British diver who rescued He works as a part-time Specialist 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. These symptoms of decompression sickness - often called "the bends" - grew steadily more serious over the following hours. Read More: Where is Water Engineer Thanet Natisri Now? Thirteen Lessons that Saved Thirteen Lives The lawsuit was filed by lawyers led by L. Lin Wood, an Atlanta attorney who has represented plaintiffs in several high-profile libel cases including the family of homicide victim JonBenet Ramsey and security guard Richard Jewel, who was accused in media reports of being a suspect in a 1996 bombing during the Olympics in Atlanta, a crime committed by anti-government extremist Eric Rudolph. on March 16, 2022. at 11:55 am. All Rights Reserved. The Norwegian authorities took statements from them and closed the Plura cave. Paakkarinen and Gronqvist continue the descent alone. The boys, ages 11-16, were found July 2 by Volanthen and Stanton, according to the lawsuit. 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. However, he has since received the Bronze Cross, the Royal Humane Societys Bronze Medal, the honor of Pride of Britain, the George Medal, and the Queens Gallantry Medal all in 2018 or 2019. All three survivors would be involved, plus Paakkarinen. Subscribe to the BBC News Magazine's email newsletter to get articles sent to your inbox. Advertisements. 3' Review: These Intergalactic Weirdos Are the Real Heart of the MCU, 2023 Emmy Predictions: Outstanding Talk Series. Described as not the most domesticated of men, Stanton considers cave-diving to be a thinking activity which 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. Jill Lawless contributed to this report from London. The film's director, Juan Reina, laughingly agrees that there is little in his film to contradict the national reputation for cool-headed composure. 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. With a background in medical electronics, John has produced innovations to allow the exploration and mapping of ever deeper and more complex caves in a safe and controlled manner. Stanton says that he and his fellow divers considered it, and decided it was too risky. Rantanen later found out that while he had been struggling to pass Huotarinen's body, the diver behind him, Jari Uusimaki, was also running into difficulties. 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. We should mention that Jason has received the Queens Gallantry Medal, the Pride of Britain Award, as well as an honorary doctorate from the University of Huddersfield, allowing him to expand his reach. The two divers were welcomed at Chiang Rai airport with a banner that read: The Worlds Best Cave Divers. 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.. British divers at heart of Thai cave rescue among best in world | Thailand | The Guardian. At the time of the accident he was teaching a diving course in Mexico. This article contains content provided by Twitter. 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". "Quite the opposite, it is one of the most challenging dives that you can do, this Plura traverse. 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 had trained both the victims and counted them as good friends. "But these two people should never have died in the first place.". He was using his torch to signal distress. 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? To view this content choose accept and continue. 2023 IndieWire Media, LLC. They were Finnish divers who knew one another from explorations they had made of the Ojamo mine, west of Helsinki. 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. 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. ', 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. The subsequent fortnight was a whirlwind. 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. Video, The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. The crazy-like-a-fox genius that Harris brings to the table is a microcosm of a rescue effort that was only feasible because of the multitude of people involved, and Vasarhelyi and Chin are sure to linger on the growing swell of soldiers and other volunteers who show up to lend a hand. 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 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. The Film Industry Lost Some Titans This Year What Happens Now? Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. Their Thai Cave Rescue Film Was Done. Then 87 Hours of Footage The destination for all five men was Steinugleflaget. 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. 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. Best known as the first diver to locate and contact the missing youth Thai soccer team alongside long time diving partner Rick Stanton. 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 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. By the time he reached Plura, he had to break a thin layer of ice to climb out of the water. Mr Musk has made several accusations against Mr Unsworth without evidence, including that he was a "child rapist". 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. 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. 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. asks Juan Reina. As someone who has dedicated a significant portion of his life to cave diving, Richard Rick Stanton continues to keep it up to the best of his abilities while spreading knowledge of the same. It was totally our own fault.". Scuba Diver chats to cave-diving legend Rick Stanton, and finds out what lured him underground in the first place, He was diving with his good friend Jari Huotarinen, who was attempting the traverse for the first time. Stanton is on [] 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 In Wookey hole in the UK, alongside Rick Stanton, John advanced the British cave diving depth record to over 90M. Living in Bristol, in the UK, John spends his spare time running ultra marathons. 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. 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. Biography - John Volanthen But he remains troubled by the events in the Plurdalen valley. Thai cave diver Rick Stanton reflects on the mission to save 13 You never know where they might take you. But unlike Vesa Rantanen, Kankanen decided not to push through to Steinugleflaget. Rain is slatting down across the entire cave system, causing the water levels to rise with every passing second. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? Thai cave rescue: Rick Stanton says he 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. 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. To get in touch, please email Mr Musk (R) alleged that British diver Mr Unsworth (L) had a "child bride". From what we can tell, a majority of the rescuees still reside in their native province of Chiang Rai in Thailand, where they continue to devote themselves to the sport as well as their education. 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). john@volanthen.com, or visit the contact page. But on Aug. 28, Musk tweeted about Unsworth once again, writing: You dont think its strange he hasnt sued me? But Stanton has an unusual hobby: He loves to cave-dive. Did this woman die because her genitals were cut? Mr Unsworth filed the suit in California. National Geographic will release it in theaters later this year. He first started going to Thailand in 2011, where he explored and mapped caves, the documents stated. 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. "I told her that they are not going to be left there, that we would think of something.". Unsworth will not do interviews, Wood said, but the attorney said in a statement that Musks wealth cannot convert his lies into truth or protect him from accountability for his wrongdoing in a court of law., Unsworths British lawyer, Mark Stephens, said that Twibels (Twitter libels) show that falsehoods by the rich and powerful can circulate round the globe to their 22.5 million followers and to the media before the truth can pull its boots on.. He said "this was completely uncharted, unprecedented territory and nothing like this has been done." As soon as Amp 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". John continues to explore and document underwater caves throughout the world. Be confident in your abilities and ignore your detractors.. Stephens did not say when Unsworth planned to file a claim in the British courts. Cave Diving 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 It's their calling. Soon afterwards, he began to suffer mild pains in his knees and elbows. Using his background in medical electronics, John has built and sold 2 Information technology businesses. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Instead, the atmosphere is one of intense single-mindedness, as the team discuss how to manoeuvre the bodies through the water, and preserve them until the police, notified after the fact, could come and collect them. 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. 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. The lawsuit seeks $75,000 (57,000) in compensation and an injunction against Mr Musk to stop further allegations. 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. IndieWire is a part of Penske Media Corporation. But this advantage was offset by the fact that the men knew the victims they would be rescuing. So the Norwegian police called off the recovery. You may want to read Twitters cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. "This incident happened, and then they've made a film and they all come out as heroes," he says. Although he later deleted the tweets and offered an apology to the diver, Mr Musk reignited the row earlier this month. They pass the floating body of Jari Uusimaki. The pair first clashed over Mr Musk's offer of a mini-submarine to help with the cave rescue. 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 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. Mr Unsworth did not take part in the dives but had previously explored the cave complex extensively. 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. cave diver It proved a more difficult day than they anticipated. The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. 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. 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. Instead he turned around and swam the long way back to the starting point. 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. 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. Described as the A Team of He also knew that at some point the second group of divers would find Huotarinen's body blocking their way. Stanton says that he and his fellow divers considered it, and decided it was too risky.