The case of young people trapped in a flooded cave drew worldwide attention and recently became a Netflix documentary
Beneath the mountains of the beautiful skyline of the Thai province of Chiang Rai, 12 boys and their football coach have been trapped for days in the famous Tham Luang cave. This is how the new documentary by Netflixreleased last Wednesday, 05.
Lasting almost two hours, The 13 Cave Survivors arrives four years after the struggle experienced by the boys, who were aged between 11 and 16, and their coach, who was only 24 years old. In the documentary, then, the 13 youths tell details of the days they spent inside the cave before being rescued.
This is not, however, the first production of the netlix about the rescue of the Thai football team known as Wild Boars. On September 22, the platform launched the series The Thai Cave Rescue. Divided into 6 parts and directed by Kevin Tancharoen and Nattawut Poonpiriya, the drama is inspired by the real story. That you remember next.
an ill-fated ride
It was a Saturday, June 23, 2018. Excited with the football training they had just done, the young players of the Wild Boars team decided to visit the well-known Tham Luang cave. Pathfinders, many of them already knew the place and, according to the BBCused to explore the caves under Mae Sai district frequently.
accompanied by Ekkapol “Ake” Chantawongthe team’s assistant coach, the 12 boys decided that they would stay in the cave for a short time, as Peerapat Sompiangjaione of the players, was due to return home soon to celebrate his 17th birthday, while another of the boys had a class shortly thereafter.
Upon arriving at the cave, they came across a sign that warned visitors of the dangers of the tunnels between the months of July and November — a time when the rains worsened and completely flooded the cave corridors. As it was only June 23, however, the team took a vote and unanimously decided to explore Tham Luang anyway.
Always together, the boys and their coach left their bikes at the entrance of the cave — alongside their shoes, cell phones and backpacks — and set off on an adventure. The 13 only returned home more than two weeks later.
The Exciting Rescues
Creepy and at the same time a major tourist spot in the area, the cave was one of the first destinations visited by the boys’ parents after they failed to return home that Saturday. And, according to the documentary Netflixwas also where the ranger Phet Phrommueang found the children’s 11 bicycles before calling the rescue.
Driven by the urgency of the situation, the Thai authorities soon mounted a massive operation, the sole objective of which was to get the 13 young men out of the cave alive — and as quickly as possible. The local Navy’s elite unit, national police and other rescue teams were called in, but most of the divers had little cave experience.
There was also doubt about the well-being of the boys. Were they all alive? If so, in which part of the 10 km of the cave’s extension? The rains wouldn’t let up, and no amount of rescue tactics—from pumping water out of the tunnels to drilling into the sides of the mountain—seemed to work.
excruciating days
Outside, a group of vigils grew each day, with friends, teachers and family members of the children gathering to help the authorities and pray for the success of the operation. The case began to draw media attention and volunteers began to show up.
On June 28, experts from the US Air Force and divers from countries such as the UK, Belgium and Australia joined the rescue efforts. There were, then, days of constant struggle against the forces of nature.
Once inside the cave, the 13 young people found themselves with no way out. Luckily, they had water and oxygen at their disposal, but they grew more tired, hungry, and without energy with each passing day. They even reached an unthinkable agreement: if one of them died, he would serve as food for the other 12. Together, they learned to meditate with the technician, who was a former monk, and tried to dig to find a way out.
It was only on a Monday, July 2nd, 2018, that the 13 youths saw some light for the first time after they were trapped. Awaiting rescue, they were found by North American divers John Volanthen and Rick Stanton.
The last efforts
Once located by the authorities, the boys began to receive food, medicine and even letters from their families – which the young people responded to daily. After the discovery, however, an even more urgent race began: the 13 had to be removed from there before the rains worsened and the oxygen, which was already low, ran out.
On July 7th, two weeks after the boys disappeared and after many rescue simulations, the Thai authorities announced that operations would begin. Dozens of divers were mobilized and sent into the cave and two stages of a painstaking rescue went into action.
After receiving diving lessons, some of which could not swim, the boys were sedated so that they would not panic during the journey – which lasted about 3 hours through narrow, cold and flooded tunnels. Featured in the documentary Netflixthe Australian anesthesiologist and diver Richard “Harry” Harris was responsible for the sedatives.
Attached to two divers, the 13 youths were carried, hoisted on stretchers and dragged through tunnels of icy water before being finally taken out of the cave. The operations lasted three days, but ended in the best possible way on July 10, with the 13 survivors saved and taken to a hospital in Chiang Rai.
Source: Rollingstone
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
