Thai cave rescue bid shows man at his best

In a remote section of northern Thailand, deep in a jungle and far underground, emergency special teams from around the world have assembled en masse to rescue 12 boys and their football coach who have been trapped for two weeks there. The rescue attempt is underway, and we all hope that the complex mission goes according to plan. As it is, one brave Thai rescue diver lost his life after running out of oxygen while trying to deploy a chain of oxygen tanks for the team of specialist divers and the boys on their perilous journey out of the cavern complex.

We have been through such dramas before, as with the case of the 33 coal miners saved in 2010 after weeks trapped underground. Thankfully that complex rescue mission was a success, and our thoughts and prayers now are with the teams to bring out these trapped boys and their coach.

We must offer words of acknowledgement to the Thai officials for their determination in taking every possible measure to ensure that this drama will conclude in the saving of the boys’ and coach’s lives. Brave are the special teams who enter the dangerous environment, working in difficult, dark, cramped conditions where their own lives are at risk. In normal times, cave diving is an adventure activity that brings death with regularity as there is little room for anything to go wrong. These teams are now working with the added pressure of knowing that 13 lives are at stake, and that there is a limited window for this mission’s success, given the threatening rains and knowledge that the rescue attempt is fraught with danger from boys who cannot swim let alone dive.

Over the past days, water levels have gone down, thanks to the pumps working around the clock. But oxygen levels are also being depleted because of the sheer number of people working together in the cave complex to bring the football team and their coach out alive. In the coming hours and days, we will know about this mission and how exactly rescue teams were pushed to the limit to save these boys.

What is clear from this unfolding drama is that when we are pushed to work together in a common challenge and goal, we find the means and methods to save lives and reach new levels of heroism. Sadly, those best human traits are so often lost, however, when it comes to overcoming political challenges that lead to the loss of many lives in so many places.