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. 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. Did you know that one of the experts that rescued the trapped Thai schoolboys was a hero firefighter and cave diver from Coventry? Having explored underwater caves for decades, John relates lessons in risk management, problem solving and teamwork to a worldwide business audience. After negotiating this "sump" - an underground pocket of water - you will finally ascend to the cave of Steinugleflaget. You never know where they might take you. 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. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? 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 was offered free legal services. The lawsuit states that with the tweet, Musk sought to tell the average reader that Unsworths failure to sue at the time was evidence that Unsworth is a pedophile. Nobody has made a new attempt at the traverse, but Sami Paakkarinen says for him it's only a matter of time. Having the bodies would help the families grieve, and would also help to prevent lengthy delays to insurance and inheritance settlements. Then, just 20m or so further on they encounter Jari Huotarinen, exactly as Gronqvist had left him seven weeks earlier. 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. 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. 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. It was another six months before the group was told that they would face no charges for their illegal dive. Instead he turned around and swam the long way back to the starting point. Described as the A Team of diving rescues by the British Cave Rescue Council, he also planned and participated in the childrens rescue. 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. He actually continues to actively volunteer in a wide variety of search-rescue operations, all the while teaming up with charities like Operation Flinders Foundation as well as hosting his Real Risk Podcast. Richard is also an aspiring filmmaker and an author he co-wrote Against All Odds (November 2019) with Craig Callen and penned a childrens book Alfie the Brave (April 2022). In other words that the person making the statement knew it to be false and went on to make it. 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.. He eventually met up with Gronqvist, but Rantanen's struggle to pass Huotarinen's body had added three hours to his decompression time. 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 As if thats not enough, he has even obtained a Bravery Award from his home county of Somerset, South West England he resides in the village of Cheddar here with his wife, Laura Trowbridge. It says Mr Musk sometimes used his Twitter account and emails to "publish to the world false and defamatory accusations" against the Briton. All content John Volanthen 2019 | Website by, United Kingdom and Commonwealth, George Medal, National Geographic Adventurer of the year. Tesla did not respond to requests for comment Monday. The entrepreneur posted footage of the vehicle on Twitter and suggested it could be used to help save the trapped teens. "It was evident that it was going to be quite a protracted affair, lots of dives, down deep and cold - and that was really beyond our remit," says Stanton. Unsworth has a significant other in Thailand, a 40-year-old woman with whom he shares a house, according to the lawsuit. In interviews, Kankanen has said his memories of exactly what happened are sketchy (he was unavailable to contribute to this article). The men's breathing, the bubbles released from their equipment, and the occasional muffled command complete the soundtrack. Because he began to run low on gas he was forced to surface 80 minutes early. 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. Influencers: Profiles of a Partnership 2022, How to Pitch Stories and Articles to IndieWire, Where to Watch This Week's New Movies, from 'Are You There God? Cutting his equipment away, they manage to release the body and negotiate it through the narrow part of the cave. 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. John began caving with the scouts at the age of 14 and continues to push the limits of underwater cave exploration to this day. And about 90m above the cave's vaulted ceiling lies your exit - a crack in the collapsed side of a hill. Is climate change killing Australian wine? 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. The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. 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. 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. Hes an old, single white guy from England whos been traveling or living in Thailand for 30 to 40 years, Musk wrote, adding that Unsworth moved in Thailand for a child bride who was about 12 years old at the time, according to the lawsuit. Despite everything, Gronqvist, Rantanen, Kankanen and Paakkarinen continue to enjoy the sport. The boys, ages 11-16, were found July 2 by Volanthen and Stanton, according to the lawsuit. Diving hobbyists can climb out of the water here to admire the grotto, before returning to Plura. But since leaving high school in the 1980s, hed quietly established himself as the pre There is also the possibility of equipment failure, and hypercapnia - carbon dioxide poisoning. Paakkarinen says that he sensed the Norwegian police were pleased that they had recovered the bodies, but "they let us know that we had broken some rules and they had to investigate that". The only alternative was to perform the traverse from Plura all over again, and thus gain access to the victims from the other side. 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. They had a distinct advantage over the British rescue team - they had performed the traverse before, so felt confident they could reach the bodies from the Plura side, cut Huotarinen's body free and guide both of them to the surface. He recommended that the Thai government seek help from divers in the United Kingdom, and Unsworth called friend and fellow diver Rob Harper. The Film Industry Lost Some Titans This Year What Happens Now? At such depths and temperatures, a tear in a dry suit on the sharp cave floor could result in death. "It's a code that no-one is left behind," he says. 2023 BBC. on March 16, 2022. at 11:55 am. Explore in 3D: The dazzling crown that makes a king. He was part of a team that attempted a cave rescue of Eric Establie in 2010, in the 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'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. 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. But this advantage was offset by the fact that the men knew the victims they would be rescuing. Huotarinen seemed to be starting to panic, which meant he risked breathing too fast. A British cave diver is suing tech billionaire Elon Musk for defamation after his repeated claims the diver is a child abuser. 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 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. But on Aug. 28, Musk tweeted about Unsworth once again, writing: You dont think its strange he hasnt sued me? 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. "It is very easy to judge them if you have never explored that world, if you've never been on the journey with them. He isnt happy unless hes swimming around a claustrophobic hellscape and exploring some of the only alien terrain left on Earth. The deeper the dive, the longer the decompression. Like his fellow British divers, Chris Jewell is a recipient of the Queens Gallantry Medal, yet unlike them, he has also been honored with the first-ever Medal of Valor by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors. 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. 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. 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. Because he had stopped to help his friend, spending about 20 minutes at a depth of 110m, Gronqvist knew he would have to spend hours making additional decompression stops before surfacing. In the cave-diving world, discovering how caves are linked together is a weighty achievement, one of the ultimate goals of the whole sport. by Clive Coleman, BBC legal correspondent. He works as a part-time Specialist ", Listen to Vesa Rantanen and Sami Paakkarinen speaking to Outlook on the BBC World Service, Follow William Kremer on Twitter @williamkremer. Described as the A Team of Subscribe to the BBC News Magazine's email newsletter to get articles sent to your inbox. 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. "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. 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. 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). Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. Mr Unsworth filed the suit in California. 3' Review: These Intergalactic Weirdos Are the Real Heart of the MCU, 2023 Emmy Predictions: Outstanding Talk Series. 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 BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 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. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? He also knew that at some point the second group of divers would find Huotarinen's body blocking their way. "I got to that narrow place, where that first diver got stuck, and I had to decide what to do," he recalls. Rick Stanton, from Coventry, 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". Advertisements. John played a key role in the Tham Luang Thailand cave rescue. 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. 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. The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. IndieWire is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Best known as the first diver to locate and contact the missing youth Thai soccer team alongside long time diving partner Rick Stanton. The two divers were welcomed at Chiang Rai airport with a banner that read: The Worlds Best Cave Divers. "Quite the opposite, it is one of the most challenging dives that you can do, this Plura traverse. Although there are two victims here, and a sad accident has happened - when you go through this journey with them, I hope people understand why they do this.". John continues to explore and document underwater caves throughout the world. 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. Just to gild the lily a bit, we learn that Stanton fell in love with a Thai woman named Amp while she was on holiday in the U.K. she returned home the day that Tham Luang flooded, and knew exactly who to call for help. Mr Unsworth did not take part in the dives but had previously explored the cave complex extensively. A separate suit will follow in London, the filing says. But Stanton has an unusual hobby: He loves to cave-dive. 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.. These include and underwater mapping device, communications systems and state of the art, micro rebreathers, allowing divers to stay underwater longer than was previously possible. Cave divers use "rebreathers" which artificially absorb the carbon dioxide they exhale, but these can become overloaded if the divers start breathing quickly, and at depth it is more difficult for them to control their breathing. The Rescue premiered at the 2021 Telluride Film Festival. To Gronqvist's horror, his friend died in front of his eyes - but getting agitated would put Gronqvist himself at risk of hypercapnia. Paakkarinen and Gronqvist continue the descent alone. Up until the summer of 2018, not many people had heard of Stanton. "I've been thinking about this every single night since I walked out of here," Gronqvist says evenly. Mr. Unsworth is not a child rapist, the lawsuit stated, adding that Unsworth has never been married to a minor. Unfortunately, we couldnt find any concrete details on Nattawut Tle Takamrong (then 14) or Phiraphat Night Somphiangchai (who celebrated his 17th birthday in the cave). The trip was at the extreme end of a dangerous sport. 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. The Rescue is first and foremost a riveting, immersive, stomach-in-your-throat documentary about the youth soccer team who were trapped deep within a flooded cave in Northern Thailand during the summer of 2018. 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. 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. They pass the floating body of Jari Uusimaki. He was using his torch to signal distress. 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. Before the Thai cave rescue, Stanton was wondering what to do with the rest of his life and also questioning what hed been doing with his life. Hed retired as a firefighter and had become disillusioned with diving. Although he later deleted the tweets and offered an apology to the diver, Mr Musk reignited the row earlier this month. In all, a team of 27 people descended on Plurdalen on 22 March 2014 - 17 Finns and 10 Norwegians. (National Geographic) The following afternoon they went to the local police station. All Rights Reserved. An email to Buzzfeed reporter Ryan Mac included the claim the Briton was a "child rapist", imploring the reporter to "find out what's actually going on" and suggesting the diver took no part in the cave rescue. All of this makes for anther super entertaining multiplex documentary that has crossover potential written all over it (all the way down to the truly wretched inspirational song that plays over the closing credits in a transparent Oscar bid), but The Rescue doesnt let its action movie urgency interfere with the seriousness of whats at stake. The whole operation had taken 101 hours of diving time. Get The Latest IndieWire Alerts And Newsletters Delivered Directly To Your Inbox. The following day Gronqvist and Paakkarinen returned to retrieve Jari Uusimaki's body, assisted at depth by another diver, Jani Santala. Looking upset, he explains in the film that he slept badly and is simply not in the right frame of mind for the operation. 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. 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. Rick Stanton, left, and John Volanthen had been cave diving together for decades before being called upon to help with the Thai rescue. A clip from Diving into the Unknown, directed by Juan Reina, used with permission of Monami Agency. 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. Read about our approach to external linking. 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". 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 three survivors were all hospitalised with decompression sickness. WebVolanthen frequently cave dives and conducts rescues with a partner, Richard Stanton . Did this woman die because her genitals were cut? 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. 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. Photographs courtesy of RICK STANTON That's why I wanted to take the viewers on that journey. He had trained both the victims and counted them as good friends. Then in a second email to BuzzFeed, Musk accused Unsworth of being a liar and said he wasnt on the cave dive team. In fact, not only does he continue to be an active diving member of the Cave Rescue Organisation, but he has also served as a consultant on projects related to the Thai case. Scuba Diver chats to cave-diving legend Rick Stanton, and finds out what lured him underground in the first place, 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. He was the first foreign rescuer to arrive. 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 Coming to his standing, Richard presently resides with his wife Fiona and their three children James, Charlie, and Millie in the laid-back suburb of Goodwood in Adelaide, South Australia. 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. Obsessively. "Last time I didn't know whether to come back up or stay down there," he adds, hinting at what Huotarinen's death has cost him. Mr. The truth has now got its boots on and Elon Musk is being brought to account for repeatedly attacking and taunting the good name of an ordinary spelunker: Vernon Unsworth who answered the call and (with others) put his life on the line to help rescue the 13 trapped in the caves in Thailand, he said. At that point Gronqvist, a firefighter by trade, made Jari Huotarinen's wife a promise. A post shared by John Volanthen (@jvolanthen), John seems to be based in Bristol at the moment, where he combines his expertise in electronics and diving to develop safer gear, runs marathons to stay in shape, and continues to explore as much as possible. A post shared by Richard Harris (@richard.harris_). 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. 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. Unsworth is not a pedophile. WebRescue. "This incident happened, and then they've made a film and they all come out as heroes," he says. "If we had done a practice run then, things would have been different. Read about our approach to external linking. "Why do these guys who have families and everything, why do they go to these harsh places?" But then again, we have the best knowledge of the place, we are the original explorers of the place, we know the place like our own pockets.". He was It's Me, Margaret' to 'R.M.N. "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. On the third day, 24 March, the divers began the recovery itself, slipping once again beneath the icy lid of Plura, accompanied by underwater camera operators. These symptoms of decompression sickness - often called "the bends" - grew steadily more serious over the following hours. 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. John has been involved in exploring and mapping caves throughout the world, including the UK, Europe, and Malaysia. Living in Bristol, in the UK, John spends his spare time running ultra marathons. This article contains content provided by Twitter. More importantly, though, Chris works as the Head of Professional Services at Access Group and is an active member of the British Cave Rescue Council to continue his explorations. 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. The lawsuit seeks $75,000 (57,000) in compensation and an injunction against Mr Musk to stop further allegations. If they asked the Norwegian police for permission, it was certain to be refused. Why was Elon Musk at the Thai cave rescue? Johns success hinges on an innovative approach, designing equipment and procedures to solve the unique difficulties presented by each cave. Explore in 3D: The dazzling crown that makes a king. The moment you see the people who answer it, youll know why this ordeal had to be made into a movie. 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. 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. Thats where he carefully builds his skills, serves part-time at the Specialist Anaesthetic Service Medical Center, and works to expand his prospects as a public speaker and beyond. British divers at heart of Thai cave rescue among best in world | Thailand | The Guardian. Would they become upset and breathe more quickly, or make a silly mistake that could lead to another tragedy? Sorry pedo guy, you really did ask for it, Musk tweeted. To view this content choose accept and continue. "It's not that they are just enjoying the thrill of risking their lives - there's more to it than that. Stewart Cook/Shutterstock Rick Stanton with 'Thirteen Lives' star Viggo Mortensen.. Divers who have spent time in deep water cannot go straight to the surface because of the risk of decompression sickness, another potentially fatal hazard. "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. The subsequent fortnight was a whirlwind. However, the toughest hurdle is that if the person bringing the case is regarded as a public figure - and 'public figure' is given a pretty wide interpretation - it has to be proved that the defendant acted maliciously. 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. Soon afterwards, he began to suffer mild pains in his knees and elbows. Eventually he fielded a Skype call from the British cave diver Rick Stanton. 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. He finally emerged from the cave in the early hours of the next day, more than 11 hours after setting off on a dive that was supposed to take five hours. Read about our approach to external linking. 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. "But these two people should never have died in the first place.". 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. 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. Read More: Where is Water Engineer Thanet Natisri Now?
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