But if you are highly trained and experienced - and an insatiably curious individual - you might continue on a course that quickly plunges much deeper, becoming narrow and difficult, through ice-cold, pitch-black water. Nobody has made a new attempt at the traverse, but Sami Paakkarinen says for him it's only a matter of time. 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. 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. 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. Rick has deliberately never married or started a family because his work is his whole life, which he touched upon in his June 2021 book Aquanaut: A Life Beneath the Surface The Inside Story of the Thai Cave Rescue. Where is Dr. Richard Harris Now? 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 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. Q&A: With Cave Diving Legend Rick Stanton - Divernet 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 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. Two hours later, after the sediment raised by the first divers had been allowed to settle, three of their friends followed behind. From Barbie to The Flash, Here Are the Movies That Made the Biggest Impact at CinemaCon. This body was more buoyant and unwieldy than the first, and Paakkarinen came close to disaster when a part of the cave collapsed on him. The phrase "kaveria ei jateta" - "never leave a friend behind" - was used by Finnish soldiers, who put themselves in grave danger to recover the bodies of fallen comrades during the Winter War against the USSR in 1939-1940. Biography - John Volanthen The fifth and final diver, Kai Kankanen, tried unsuccessfully to come to Uusimaki's aid. Musk and engineers from his rocket company, SpaceX, built a small submarine and shipped it to Thailand to help with the rescue. 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. 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. But he remains troubled by the events in the Plurdalen valley. This is a pocket of air that divers can use during decompression stops, allowing them to get out of the cold water, remove their masks and even eat. A clip from Diving into the Unknown, directed by Juan Reina, used with permission of Monami Agency. Stanton was also part of a team that attempted a cave rescue of Eric Establie, in the Dragonnire Gaud Cave near Labastide-de-Virac in the Ardche region of France, in 2010 which was ultimately unsuccessful. The boys, ages 11-16, were found July 2 by Volanthen and Stanton, according to the lawsuit. To Gronqvist's horror, his friend died in front of his eyes - but getting agitated would put Gronqvist himself at risk of hypercapnia. It was another six months before the group was told that they would face no charges for their illegal 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? He also said Musk can stick his submarine somewhere where it hurts., The lawsuit alleges that Musk, apparently angered by Unsworths remarks, began a campaign to destroy his reputation by publishing false and heinous accusations of criminality against him to the public., In a series of tweets July 15, Musk, who personally delivered the submarine to the cave, wrote that he never saw Unsworth and challenged him to show a video of the final rescue. Having the bodies would help the families grieve, and would also help to prevent lengthy delays to insurance and inheritance settlements. That's why I wanted to take the viewers on that journey. "Carbon dioxide absorbs into the bloodstream much faster and easier at depth," says Gronqvist. He said "this was completely uncharted, unprecedented territory and nothing like this has been done." Would they become upset and breathe more quickly, or make a silly mistake that could lead to another tragedy? He eventually met up with Gronqvist, but Rantanen's struggle to pass Huotarinen's body had added three hours to his decompression time. 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. He soon discovered his friends had all had the same idea. He was Where is Water Engineer Thanet Natisri Now. Stanton says that he and his fellow divers considered it, and decided it was too risky. 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. 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. cave "I don't say that there was no risk to us," says Paakkarinen. So the Norwegian police called off the recovery. John has been involved in a number of search, rescue, and recovery incidents in the UK, Ireland, France and further afield. Instead he turned around and swam the long way back to the starting point. "You always have to do your best to get your friends out, wherever they are.". We hear the clanking of their gas cylinders and the intermittent whirring of underwater scooters. 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". A new documentary, currently on release in Finland, depicts what happened. The Norwegian authorities took statements from them and closed the Plura cave. 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.. They were Finnish divers who knew one another from explorations they had made of the Ojamo mine, west of Helsinki. 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. 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. In Diving into the Unknown, we do not see any of the divers collapsing into tears, or talking emotionally about lost friends. Get The Latest IndieWire Alerts And Newsletters Delivered Directly To Your Inbox. Finns also have a proud history of going to great lengths to retrieve the bodies of deceased friends. In the cave-diving world, discovering how caves are linked together is a weighty achievement, one of the ultimate goals of the whole sport. IndieWire is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Described as not the most domesticated of men, Stanton considers cave-diving to be a thinking activity which Several divers told Buzzfeed that he had worked continuously on the rescue. Mr. 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 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. 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. Then they spent a day setting up equipment, leaving 50 cylinders of gas along the route and, on the Plura side, an underwater habitat. Is climate change killing Australian wine? 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. Thai cave rescue heroes reveal they faced arrest after giving kids 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Read about our approach to external linking. John played a key role in the Tham Luang Thailand cave rescue. He first started going to Thailand in 2011, where he explored and mapped caves, the documents stated. It was a preposterous plan: Behind the scenes of the Thai 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.. The authorities said it was too dangerous to retrieve their bodies, but four friends of the men decided to take the risk - and seven weeks later they descended into the dark and glacial waters. 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. 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. Thai cave rescue: Rick Stanton says he "I told the widow that we would go and get them," he recalls. He was the first foreign rescuer to arrive. "And I am not afraid of the cave. 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. 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. 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. Later on Twitter, Musk wrote Bet ya a signed dollar its true.. National Geographic will release it in theaters later this year. 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. 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. Dul, Mark, Phonchai Tee Khamluang, and their assistant coach Eakapol Eak Chantawong were stateless when the incident occurred, but they were granted complete Thai citizenship on September 26, 2018. Sorry pedo guy, you really did ask for it, Musk tweeted. 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. The two divers were welcomed at Chiang Rai airport with a banner that read: The Worlds Best Cave Divers. Described as the A Team of diving rescues by the British Cave Rescue Council, he also planned and participated in the childrens rescue. Thai cave dive rescue: Diver Rick Stanton reflects on the - 9News The Film Industry Lost Some Titans This Year What Happens Now? 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. "If we had done a practice run then, things would have been different. In gripping footage, the divers' torches catch the jagged edges of the cave walls. Living in Bristol, in the UK, John spends his spare time running ultra marathons. He was diving with his good friend Jari Huotarinen, who was attempting the traverse for the first time. 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. The Rescue premiered at the 2021 Telluride Film Festival. Despite everything, Gronqvist, Rantanen, Kankanen and Paakkarinen continue to enjoy the sport. 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.