You wouldnt believe the particulars if I told you, but the film so vividly conveys why such a cockamamie scheme was necessary that you cant help but go along with it in the moment. He isnt happy unless hes swimming around a claustrophobic hellscape and exploring some of the only alien terrain left on Earth. Why was Elon Musk at the Thai cave rescue? The lawsuit seeks $75,000 (57,000) in compensation and an injunction against Mr Musk to stop further allegations. "It's a code that no-one is left behind," he says. Stanton isnt the only one of his kind, but hes such a rare breed that hes got all of the other expert cave-divers on speed dial. 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. And about 90m above the cave's vaulted ceiling lies your exit - a crack in the collapsed side of a hill. The Plura caves are now open once again. 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. cave British cave divers Richard Stanton (2nd-L), Robert Charles Harper (3rd 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. But on Aug. 28, Musk tweeted about Unsworth once again, writing: You dont think its strange he hasnt sued me? Thai cave diver Rick Stanton reflects on the mission to save 13 He was also made a Member of the Order of the British Empire, and then he additionally acquired the Hero of the Year Award at the West Midland Fire Services Aspire Awards in 2021. Described as not the most domesticated of men, Stanton considers cave-diving to be a thinking activity which Tesla did not respond to requests for comment Monday. But it was British cave diver John Volanthen and his partner, Rick Stanton, who were first to reach the stranded team and who played a key role in their ultimate rescue. Mr Musk (R) alleged that British diver Mr Unsworth (L) had a "child bride". At last, though, both victims were lifted up to Steinugleflaget, where they were placed in body bags Gronqvist had taken from his fire station. 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. 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. Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! They pass the floating body of Jari Uusimaki. So the Norwegian police called off the recovery. 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. Mr Unsworth did not take part in the dives but had previously explored the cave complex extensively. Get The Latest IndieWire Alerts And Newsletters Delivered Directly To Your Inbox. "You always have to do your best to get your friends out, wherever they are.". Did this woman die because her genitals were cut? At the time of the accident he was teaching a diving course in Mexico. 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. After negotiating this "sump" - an underground pocket of water - you will finally ascend to the cave of Steinugleflaget. It was a preposterous plan: Behind the scenes of the Thai cave rescue Rick Stanton was one of the divers who saved 12 boys and their football coach from a The first diver in the second team was Vesa Rantanen. Thai cave dive rescue: Diver Rick Stanton reflects on the - 9News Documentary follows the divers who risked it all in the Thailand 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. 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. The boys, ages 11-16, were found July 2 by Volanthen and Stanton, according to the lawsuit. Rick Stanton, from Coventry, Explore in 3D: The dazzling crown that makes a king. 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". 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. 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". 2023 IndieWire Media, LLC. British divers John Volanthen and Rick Stanton were the two divers who first discovered the 12 boys and their coach in the cave system. At that point Gronqvist, a firefighter by trade, made Jari Huotarinen's wife a promise. Divernet on March 16, 2022 at 11:55 am Advertisements Scuba Diver chats to cave-diving legend Rick Stanton, and finds out what lured him underground in the first place, the challenges of some of his more epic cave dives, and what it was like to be in the midst of the worlds greatest dive rescue. 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 secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. "This incident happened, and then they've made a film and they all come out as heroes," he says. 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. As part of an International team, John set a world record for the longest cave diving distance from surface, well over 10km. The moment you see the people who answer it, youll know why this ordeal had to be made into a movie. 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. "When you wake up and you see that there are 10 missed calls and 10 messages on the phone, you know immediately that something is wrong," he says. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Mr. Unsworth has never engaged in an act of pedophilia. But when they dived down to survey the site of Huotarinen's accident, they discovered that he could not be readily freed from the Steinugleflaget side, and he blocked access to the second victim, Uusimaki. 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. "If we had done a practice run then, things would have been different. Later on Twitter, Musk wrote Bet ya a signed dollar its true.. 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. 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. He said "this was completely uncharted, unprecedented territory and nothing like this has been done." Two hours later, after the sediment raised by the first divers had been allowed to settle, three of their friends followed behind. 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. They were Finnish divers who knew one another from explorations they had made of the Ojamo mine, west of Helsinki. National Geographic will release it in theaters later this year. And yet, the documentarys ample suspense is never so overwhelming that it obscures this storys poignant sentiment, nor is the selfless heroism on display so overwrought that it washes away the bittersweet aftertaste The Rescue leaves behind. Then, just 20m or so further on they encounter Jari Huotarinen, exactly as Gronqvist had left him seven weeks earlier. 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. "Carbon dioxide absorbs into the bloodstream much faster and easier at depth," says Gronqvist. 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. by Clive Coleman, BBC legal correspondent. He and his friends also knew that there was a chance that part of northern Europe's biggest wet cave system would remain closed to the sport forever if they failed. "Musk's influence and wealth cannot convert his lies into truth or protect him from accountability for his wrongdoing in a court of law," Mr Unsworth's US attorney, L Lin Wood, said. 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. ', 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. Mr Unsworth, in orange, provided information for the rescue, The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. He never married and has dedicated his life to cave-diving, in which he has become one of the most accomplished people in the world. His account had over 22.5 million followers during this time, the filing states. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. cave diver He soon discovered his friends had all had the same idea. It's well known that some of the world's most challenging peaks are dotted with the remains of mountaineers whose bodies could not be safely retrieved. 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 The first step in the five-day operation was to lug more than a tonne of gear into the cave at Steinugleflaget, winching it bit by bit up a cable to the mountain. To Gronqvist's horror, his friend died in front of his eyes - but getting agitated would put Gronqvist himself at risk of hypercapnia. For this reason, Paakkarinen says they tried to process "all the emotional stuff" in the month leading up to the rescue, so that when the time came they could focus on the task in hand, working almost like robots. "And I am not afraid of the cave. In Wookey hole in the UK, alongside Rick Stanton, John advanced the British cave diving depth record to over 90M. Harper, who had just returned from exploring Thai caves with Unsworth, brought two other divers, John Volanthen and Rick Stanton, to help with the rescue. Mr. Unsworth is not a child rapist, the lawsuit stated, adding that Unsworth has never been married to a minor. The pair first clashed over Mr Musk's offer of a mini-submarine to help with the cave rescue. Because he began to run low on gas he was forced to surface 80 minutes early. A British cave diver is suing tech billionaire Elon Musk for defamation after his repeated claims the diver is a child abuser. And our white bread heroes who, similar to Free Solo protagonist Alex Honnold, have trouble communicating with other people as it is find themselves lost in translation between the Royal Thai Navy and the U.S. Special Forces whove shown up for some extra muscle. 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. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 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). But unlike Vesa Rantanen, Kankanen decided not to push through to Steinugleflaget. Stephens did not say when Unsworth planned to file a claim in the British courts. Read about our approach to external linking. John played a key role in the Tham Luang Thailand cave rescue. Norwegian police believe Uusimaki panicked after he reached the scene of the first accident. 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. on March 16, 2022. at 11:55 am. In all, a team of 27 people descended on Plurdalen on 22 March 2014 - 17 Finns and 10 Norwegians. This time the team launched their recovery from Steinugleflaget. The cave divers who went back for their friends "It's not that they are just enjoying the thrill of risking their lives - there's more to it than that. It proved a more difficult day than they anticipated. Is climate change killing Australian wine? Read More: Where is Water Engineer Thanet Natisri Now? While some of the performers already had diving experience, Stanton notes "our equipment is very unusual and esoteric how to use that, how to The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. 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. 2023 BBC. After a brief effort to free the body, he forced himself to calm down. 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. Stanton says that he and his fellow divers considered it, and decided it was too risky. 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. 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. Looking upset, he explains in the film that he slept badly and is simply not in the right frame of mind for the operation. The three survivors were all hospitalised with decompression sickness. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, File), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. 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. Its a portrait of incredible generosity that leaves behind a visceral understanding of where that generosity ends. If they asked the Norwegian police for permission, it was certain to be refused. In 2018. The Norwegian authorities took statements from them and closed the Plura cave. cave 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. The following afternoon they went to the local police station. All Rights Reserved. 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.. Unsworth has a significant other in Thailand, a 40-year-old woman with whom he shares a house, according to the lawsuit. A separate suit will follow in London, the filing says. "I don't say that there was no risk to us," says Paakkarinen. The subsequent fortnight was a whirlwind. Mr Musk has made several accusations against Mr Unsworth without evidence, including that he was a "child rapist". 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. 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. 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. Scuba Diver chats to cave-diving legend Rick Stanton, and finds out what lured him underground in the first place, Cave WebRescue. The documents said a separate lawsuit would be filed in England. The men's breathing, the bubbles released from their equipment, and the occasional muffled command complete the soundtrack. The first amendment of the United States Constitution which protects free speech makes defamation a challenging legal action to bring. 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. Soon afterwards, he began to suffer mild pains in his knees and elbows. At such depths and temperatures, a tear in a dry suit on the sharp cave floor could result in death. Advertisements. "My options were to try to pass that dead diver, or to turn around and try to do a very long dive back, go back to the deepest section and try to survive to the surface. The 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. Later Musk deleted the tweets and apologized after being criticized by shareholders, the lawsuit alleged, stating in a tweet that his words were spoken in anger and that the sub was built out of kindness according to specifications from the dive team leader. There was nothing for it but to continue to Steinugleflaget - very slowly. Finns also have a proud history of going to great lengths to retrieve the bodies of deceased 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. At the end of the Plurdalen valley in central Norway a 35m-wide river rises abruptly out of the ground. Although he later deleted the tweets and offered an apology to the diver, Mr Musk reignited the row earlier this month. Vernon Unsworth helped with the rescue of 12 Thai teenagers from a flooded cave in July. "There are lots of questions - the original questions - about where the cave goes, and where the water comes from, and they are still there," he says. Sure enough, before long Stanton received a request for help from the Norwegian police, and two weeks later, he and two other British divers, John Volanthen and Jason Mallinson, clambered into Steinugleflaget. 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. 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. 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. Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. "Quite the opposite, it is one of the most challenging dives that you can do, this Plura traverse. VideoThe secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, LGBT troops take love for Eurovision to front line, Why an Indian comedian is challenging fake news rules. Jill Lawless contributed to this report from London. 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. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. Divers faced the challenge of the narrow caves as they tried to reach the boys. Crucially however, Vasarhelyi and Chin also know their limits. He went back and found his friend had become stuck in a narrow section of the cave, entangled in a cord connected to a piece of his equipment. This article contains content provided by Twitter. asks Juan Reina. Its hence no surprise that he has since been awarded the Star of Courage, the Medal of the Order of Australia, the Order of the Direkgunabhorn, and the title of Australian of the Year (2019). In June 2018, the world held its breath for 18 days as a group of elite cave divers risked everything to rescue 12 boys and their coach from an underwater cave in Northern Thailand. The boys, who were all members of a soccer team, had gone into a long, winding underground cave with their coach to celebrate one of the boy's birthdays. Thanks to the rescue team cameras, viewers will see the first time the divers Rick Stanton and John Volanthan emerged from the cave having found the boys as well Rick Stanton - Wikipedia Did you know that one of the experts that rescued the trapped Thai schoolboys was a hero firefighter and cave diver from Coventry? Explore in 3D: The dazzling crown that makes a king. By the time he reached Plura, he had to break a thin layer of ice to climb out of the water. 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.. Musk and engineers from his rocket company, SpaceX, built a small submarine and shipped it to Thailand to help with the rescue. A plaintiff (the person bringing the case) has to prove the statement made about them is false and that it has caused them material harm. cave But after descending about 85m Kankanen returned. john@volanthen.com, or visit the contact page. 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. He also knew that at some point the second group of divers would find Huotarinen's body blocking their way. 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. Harry Harris lives in Goodwood, South Australia, with his wife, Fiona, with whom he has three kids- James, Charlie, and Millie. A new documentary, currently on release in Finland, depicts what happened. It concedes that Unsworth was not involved in the final planning stages of the rescue because he didnt have enough experience to make the dive. Would they become upset and breathe more quickly, or make a silly mistake that could lead to another tragedy? 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 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. 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. "I've been thinking about this every single night since I walked out of here," Gronqvist says evenly. "The deeper part is very demanding, very cold water and narrow tunnels, and deep as well - it is the world's deepest sump that has been dived through," says Gronqvist. John has been involved in a number of search, rescue, and recovery incidents in the UK, Ireland, France and further afield. 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