Thai cave rescue: Rescuers face pressure to take 'high-risk options', says expert
In this July 3, 2018, image taken from video provided by the Thai Navy Seal, Thai boys are with Navy SEALs inside the cave, Mae Sai, northern Thailand. PHOTO: Thai Navy Seal via AP
In a bid to free 12 Thai boys and their football coach from a flooded cave in northern Thailand, rescuers will be under pressure to try “high-risk” options, a cave rescue expert has warned.
This amid reports that the coming monsoon rains may complicate the rescue from the 10 km-long Tham Luang cave complex, and that the 13 of them will need diving lessons in order to leave the cave.
The children, aged 11 to 16, and their 25-year-old coach were found after a nine-day search. The group is reportedly already getting crash courses in swimming and diving.
Anmar Mirza, coordinator for the US-based National Cave Rescue Commission, told Yahoo News Singapore via email that the big decision is whether to evacuate the group soon or supply them with food and water while waiting for the floodwaters to subside. The latter option may take several months.
However, the discovery of the group means there will now be even more pressure on the rescuers to take risks, according to Mirza. “Trying high-risk options needlessly puts rescuers at risk. There is still no certainty (the group) can be gotten out safely,” he warned.
Citing sources who are acquainted with the rescue divers in Thailand, Mirza noted that it was “a very challenging dive” for them.
“Trying to take non-divers through (a) cave is one of the most dangerous situations possible, even if the dives are relatively easy. There is no good answer to this problem and any way the rescuers decide to go carries a high degree of risk.”
Cave diving experts noted the key factors that have to be taken into consideration for the rescue: zero visibility given that the water in the cave is silted up, the distance from the cave entrance to the group at 1.9km, and the flow of water in and out of the cave.
A cave diving instructor with 15 years of experience, who only wished to be known as Chew, said that his students are typically trained in open waters with blacked out diving masks to simulate poor visibility. They must already be certified divers, and it takes a minimum of seven days of training before they can attempt a cave dive.
“We teach them to work as a team. We train them in multiple failures and how to handle them. They also learn tactile communication,” said Chew, who has done cave dives in China, the Philippines and Mexico.
Asked if it was feasible to train the boys, Chew noted, “It depends on the psychology of the children. Can they handle equipment that they have never handled before?”
“In an ideal situation, when we train divers, they are not stressed. (This group has been) in the cave, without light and without food for a while.
He added, “Who knows, the will to survive may just change their mindset. As long as they don’t panic and follow the instructions, if it’s just a straight swim…then hopefully it’s a straight line out.”
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