An article in The Guardian posted on Monday 9th July 2018 Thailand cave rescue: how did the boys get out? pretty much sums up what a miracle this rescue was and provides some excellent graphics. Having been a ski patroller, outdoor instructor and a member of a Land Search and Rescue on the West Coast, I had some appreciation of what the operation must have looked like. However, with the added challenge of underground confined spaces and moving water thrown in, I can’t even imagine what it was like to actually be there. Here is a summary of what I found out about the rescue.
How did the team get out?
- Fixed static lines and staged equipment through three cave chambers
- Full faced SCUBA mask and wetsuit for each boy
- A team of 13 world class scuba divers working in pairs
- Each rescue journey took five hours in and six hours out
Key Challenges for the Search and Rescue Team
- Technically difficult scuba diving with a team of boys who had never dived before (some couldn’t even swim).
- Psychological Ability: If a boy panicked he could drown himself and his two diver escorts
- Physical Ability: The boys were malnourished from 9 days of starvation
- Confined space underwater (especially at the T Junction)
- Poor visibility in the muddy water
- An incoming bad weather system
What happens to your body after 9 days of no food?
After 6 hours
- glycogen stores to start to run out and energy production stops
- You start feeling ‘hangry’
6 hours to 3 days
- Ketosis sets in, this means you literally start breaking down your own fat for energy – which is broken down into fatty acids. The lack of glycogen impairs normal brain function.
Beyond 72 hours
- You basically start cannibalising yourself. Without any stores of sugar and fat, your body looks to get energy from other sources and starts to use protein reserves.
1-2 weeks
- Without any vitamins or minerals, the body’s immune system starts to shut down along with any ‘unnecessary’ bodily functions.
What happens to your body after 9 days with no sunlight?
Lack of sunlight disrupts the body’s metabolism. That can have domino effects on nearly everything: how strong our immune system is and the reduction in brain chemicals and other substances that contribute to our mood, weight, energy and more.
What can we learn from all this?
- The best way to stay safe if you are going into the wilderness is to check the weather reports first, let people know where you are going and take the right equipment.
- We have exceptionally well-trained search and rescue experts around the world.
- Even the experts are not invincible. I feel deeply sorry for the family of Saman Gunan, the Thai Navy Seal who died in the rescue operation.
Final Thoughts: A Meditation Commendation
I honestly can’t believe that the coach managed to keep his team calm and safe during extreme sensory deprivation. I found a possible answer to how he achieved this massive feat. It turns out that Ekapol Chanthawong is also a Buddhist monk, and he led the boys in mediation where he asked them to ‘Stop. Breathe. Let everything go.’ In fact, when they were found they were all sitting quietly meditating (instead of crying or screaming in panic).
Meditation is part of my personal wellness programme and I swear by the ‘Calm App’; however, I can’t even begin to imagine being able to calm my ‘monkey mind’ while sitting in the dark, trapped by stormwater, in a cave, under a mountain.
If you feel inspired by the story and would like to become a member of LandSAR NZ got to www.landsar.org.nz.
Finally, I guess it’s time to hug those who you love and be grateful to be above ground.
Have a safe and productive week,
SB