The Tham Luang Cave Rescue is Said to be the Most Challenging Underground Rescue in History

Helping in and making attempt after attempt for 19 days now to free the 13 boys and their coach who are trapped deep inside a virtually inaccessible flooded complex cave system, are volunteers and teams (also consisting of volunteers amongst them!) from 18 countries – The United Kingdom, China, Myanmar, Laos, Australia, USA, Japan, Russia, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Israel and India. It would have been 19 or even more if required. The Thai authorities had to refuse the offer from France as it already had enough aid in terms of specialized technical teams, equipment and volunteers.

Infographic originally published here: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/thai-cave-rescue-operation-day-2-live-blog-10511516

So yes, it is perhaps the world’s most challenging and daring rescue feats. Unfortunately the life of one experienced diver was lost in this grueling and unprecedented mission. Given the circumstances, by the grace of God, that statistic has not changed until now.

Saman Gunan will be remembered at every mention of this humongous challenge, nevertheless, as will be those, for their personal involvement, like Elon Musk, who sent his engineers from Space X and The Boring Company, now even going there himself having specially designed a mini sub pod for the inexperienced children and underwater conditions, and the FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, who has invited the children and their 25 year old coach to the World Cup final if circumstances were to permit.

Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha at the rescue operation site. (Photo: Government PR Handout via Reuters)

And no one will ever forget the two principal volunteer British divers who located the lost team after 9 uncertain days and then the single doctor who has stayed with the boys and their coach all through this time, as also the other divers who will be the last ones to come out of the cave. Or the communities around there who have helped in bringing food for the hundreds involved and clearing up the place every day. Or the schools who have collected money to give the parents who are sitting out waiting for their children and cannot go to work. They are all the unsung heroes.

Needless to say there is a lot to learn from this seemingly impossible rescue attempt that has turned into a near cent percent success story thanks to volunteers, specialized personnel and some of the finest special forces soldiers from the world over who decidedly joined hands with the singular determination to save a few, albeit invaluable, lives.
Even Anand Mahindra, reminding us to say a prayer for those involved is heartening, especially when there is nothing else one can pro-actively do. Indeed, there is power in every single effort.

Or none this would have happened.

Yes. It is all thanks to that one single diver, Vernon Unsworth, who first persuaded the Thai authorities to let him bring in divers from the United Kingdom when the Thai Navy Seal Divers had to turn back from the inhospitable and un-conducive environment as they lacked expertise and equipment necessary to make a thorough search and rescue on their own. He brought in John Volanthen and Rick Stanton. And Mr. Harper, a veteran potholing expert who initially oversaw the operation to locate the lost boys. The rest is truly history.
The sum of all parts has delivered, unbelievably whole lives to the parents of the lost children. Everyone involved is responsible for this. And the one man who did not give up hope.

That as equally reaffirms the power of even one.

Let us cherish and stay connected through that power. United, the world glimmers today… with hope in the pitch darkness and against all odds.