The boys in the cave.

[car720]

I got this from my local golf club today.  Written by a local poet.  I thought it was worth sharing.

 

WHEN DIVERS DICED WITH DEATH

 

In the annals of cave-diving history, you will find forged indelibly there, this account of submerged anaesthesia, in a rescue beyond the compare. It was Twenty Eighteen when it happened, then a soccer team called the Wild Boars, went exploring a cave there in Thailand, unaware in this cave the rain pours. It was then monsoon rains came in downpours, and the flood waters rose in the cave; now the lives of the players were threatened. What before had been safe, now was grave. Team officials and parents grew anxious, for they'd traced where the boys then had fled, but without any mobile connection, who's to know, who's alive who is dead. Then the news quickly spread through the nations and a need for a rescue acute. It was obvious divers were needed, to explore, find an underground route. And cave-divers descended in dozens with the British the best-of-the-best, Europeans, Americans also and the Thai's Navy SEALs joined the rest. None was sure if recover or rescue, was the mission they needed to do, but all knew if they didn't act quickly, then recover would be the rescue. With the cave knowledge Vern Unsworth gathered, having lived in Chaing Rai year by year, he explained where the boys might be standing but this statement he made very clear. “You will need only world class cave divers, others won't have the skills that we need. Get John Volanthen, also Rob Harper and Rick Stanton's, the one who should lead.” And these divers, that's John and Rick Stanton, found alive the Wild Boars in the cave, though they still had to figure a method, how these thirteen young lives they could save. There was urgency now for a rescue, as the chance of more flooding arose, and of all of the rescue proposals, a cave-dive underwater they chose. But teen boys had no knowledge of diving, and could panic, be frantic with fear, they'd have four kilometres of blackness, jagged rock that could puncture their gear. “Anaesthetic”, Rick Stanton suggested, “ if unconscious the boys would be still; and I know, Harry Harris, an Aussie, a cave-diver and doctor with skill.” Now at first Harry needed convincing, if unconscious, submerged, they'd survive, but he saw this the best of the options, and went with this anaesthetised dive. Harry knew fellow doctor, Craig Challen, would be needed as part of his scheme, so they flew to Chaing Rai meeting others, who were part of the rescuing team. Then with Rick, Rob and John, Craig and Harry, they agreed to use drug ketamine, a sedation without complications, though repeats, they would need down the line. 1. Chamber nine was where boys had been stranded, with their coach who was known as Ekk and with them, four Thai SEALs, one a doctor; he was Pak, who kept party in check. So when Harry and Craig emerged weary, kilometres from where they began, they found everyone happy and healthy, and expecting a rescuing plan. They explained that next day they'd bring wetsuits, and each boy get a tank and a mask, then sedated, unconscious they'd travel, and get home to their family at last. It was Harry who carried the burden to conduct this anaesthetised dive. if this failed, he'd be labelled a killer; should have chose, other means, to survive. But the boys were not told of the dangers, that their rescuers thought could arise. Like if waking, they'd see, only darkness, and this darkness, could well mesmerise, causing fear, that might lead on to panic, and its panic for divers that kills, and it's worse with a teenager diver, who's without, diving knowledge, or skills. On the fifteenth day of their entrapment, the first rescue procedure began. Boys got oxygen, mask and a wetsuit; wrists and ankles restrained was the plan. This was done to prevent lateral movement, fouling tubes on the rocky limestone. Then the ketamine drug was injected and unconscious on backs they lay prone. They were ferried, feet first by a diver, with directions that should the boy stir, anaesthetic again would be needled, so that consciousness did not occur. This successful, unconscious, submergence, to recover those trapped at Chiang Rai was the first in cave rescue procedure, a procedure now others could try. All the boys did emerge health and hearty, after seventeen days in the cave, only then were they told how a diver, passed away in his efforts to save. He was former Thai SEAL Saman Kunan, volunteering to get the boys clear, to the boys Saman's their greatest hero, they will honour Sam year after year.. In events of the twenty-first century, this is one that is hard to believe, for the odds of success were abysmal, yet against all these odds they'd achieve. They'd achieve the quintessence of rescues, thirteen lives that seemed destined to die, would be saved by heroic endeavour, by a team that believed they should try. And while nations may have disagreements, these dissolved when this crisis was seen, for the best of the best came in hundreds and achieved beyond hope's wildest dream.

 

Noel Stallard OAM September 2020

 

This email came from Dr. Richard Harry Harris 30 minutes after he got a copy of the poem

 

Hi Noel, I am writing to express my gratitude for the poem you wrote. It is a fabulous work and rivals the Man From Snowy River! It tells the story beautifully and I am more than impressed with your skills. Gestures like these make me incredibly proud and grateful to have been involved in this extraordinary event. If you are ok with it, I would like to share to wait the other rescue divers. (it with) With kind regards Harry

[stouricks]

I am taking the liberty of making this wonderful poem easier to read. 

 

In the annals of cave-diving history, you will find forged indelibly there, this account of submerged anaesthesia, in a rescue beyond the compare.

It was Twenty Eighteen when it happened, then a soccer team called the Wild Boars, went exploring a cave there in Thailand, unaware in this cave the rain pours.

It was then monsoon rains came in downpours, and the flood waters rose in the cave; now the lives of the players were threatened. What before had been safe, now was grave. Team officials and parents grew anxious, for they'd traced where the boys then had fled, but without any mobile connection, who's to know, who's alive who is dead.

Then the news quickly spread through the nations and a need for a rescue acute. It was obvious divers were needed, to explore, find an underground route.

And cave-divers descended in dozens with the British the best-of-the-best, Europeans, Americans also and the Thai's Navy SEALs joined the rest.

None was sure if recover or rescue, was the mission they needed to do, but all knew if they didn't act quickly, then recover would be the rescue.

With the cave knowledge Vern Unsworth gathered, having lived in Chaing Rai year by year, he explained where the boys might be standing but this statement he made very clear. “You will need only world class cave divers, others won't have the skills that we need. Get John Volanthen, also Rob Harper and Rick Stanton's, the one who should lead.”

And these divers, that's John and Rick Stanton, found alive the Wild Boars in the cave, though they still had to figure a method, how these thirteen young lives they could save. There was urgency now for a rescue, as the chance of more flooding arose, and of all of the rescue proposals, a cave-dive underwater they chose.

But teen boys had no knowledge of diving, and could panic, be frantic with fear, they'd have four kilometres of blackness, jagged rock that could puncture their gear. “Anaesthetic”, Rick Stanton suggested, “ if unconscious the boys would be still; and I know, Harry Harris, an Aussie, a cave-diver and doctor with skill.”

Now at first Harry needed convincing, if unconscious, submerged, they'd survive, but he saw this the best of the options, and went with this anaesthetised dive.

Harry knew fellow doctor, Craig Challen, would be needed as part of his scheme, so they flew to Chaing Rai meeting others, who were part of the rescuing team.

Then with Rick, Rob and John, Craig and Harry, they agreed to use drug ketamine, a sedation without complications, though repeats, they would need down the line. 1.

Chamber nine was where boys had been stranded, with their coach who was known as Ekk and with them, four Thai SEALs, one a doctor; he was Pak, who kept party in check. So when Harry and Craig emerged weary, kilometres from where they began, they found everyone happy and healthy, and expecting a rescuing plan.

They explained that next day they'd bring wetsuits, and each boy get a tank and a mask, then sedated, unconscious they'd travel, and get home to their family at last.

It was Harry who carried the burden to conduct this anaesthetised dive. if this failed, he'd be labelled a killer; should have chose, other means, to survive.

But the boys were not told of the dangers, that their rescuers thought could arise. Like if waking, they'd see, only darkness, and this darkness, could well mesmerise,

causing fear, that might lead on to panic, and its panic for divers that kills, and it's worse with a teenager diver, who's without, diving knowledge, or skills.

On the fifteenth day of their entrapment, the first rescue procedure began. Boys got oxygen, mask and a wetsuit; wrists and ankles restrained was the plan.

This was done to prevent lateral movement, fouling tubes on the rocky limestone. Then the ketamine drug was injected and unconscious on backs they lay prone.

They were ferried, feet first by a diver, with directions that should the boy stir, anaesthetic again would be needled, so that consciousness did not occur.

This successful, unconscious, submergence, to recover those trapped at Chiang Rai was the first in cave rescue procedure, a procedure now others could try.

All the boys did emerge health and hearty, after seventeen days in the cave, only then were they told how a diver, passed away in his efforts to save.

He was former Thai SEAL Saman Kunan, volunteering to get the boys clear, to the boys Saman's their greatest hero, they will honour Sam year after year..

In events of the twenty-first century, this is one that is hard to believe, for the odds of success were abysmal, yet against all these odds they'd achieve.

They'd achieve the quintessence of rescues, thirteen lives that seemed destined to die, would be saved by heroic endeavour, by a team that believed they should try.

And while nations may have disagreements, these dissolved when this crisis was seen, for the best of the best came in hundreds and achieved beyond hope's wildest dream.

[ChipButty]

22 minutes ago, stouricks said:

I am taking the liberty of making this wonderful poem easier to read. 

 

Great work because I couldn't read the first post

Edited September 20, 2020 by ChipButty

[Poet]

That's the problem with local poets.

They never learn how to use the return key.

 

[moobie]

Earlier this year I was at a talk given by Jason Mallinson (one of the British Divers involved in the rescue) on the Kendal Film Festival Tour. As well as being an interesting talk and slide presentation of this episode also it reflected the span of International co-operation and the extent the US Military were able to exert in making the rescue happen against the Thai authorities who were in a mixed state at what to do. The rescue of the smallest child was luckiness personified - Buddha must have been smiling down on him and his rescuers that day.

As this talk happened almost immediately before lockdown in the UK I'm not sure if it has been uploaded onto the Internet but if so it is well worth hearing the guy's blunt Yorkshire account of events, etc.

[CorpusChristie]

6 hours ago, moobie said:

Earlier this year I was at a talk given by Jason Mallinson (one of the British Divers involved in the rescue) on the Kendal Film Festival Tour. As well as being an interesting talk and slide presentation of this episode also it reflected the span of International co-operation and the extent the US Military were able to exert in making the rescue happen against the Thai authorities who were in a mixed state at what to do. The rescue of the smallest child was luckiness personified - Buddha must have been smiling down on him and his rescuers that day.

As this talk happened almost immediately before lockdown in the UK I'm not sure if it has been uploaded onto the Internet but if so it is well worth hearing the guy's blunt Yorkshire account of events, etc.

What did the U.S military do ?

I dont recall them having much involvement at all 

 

[polpott]

39 minutes ago, CorpusChristie said:

What did the U.S military do ?

I dont recall them having much involvement at all 

 

You obviously didn't see the American made documentary on the Discovery Channel shortly after the event. It was all about the Americans, other nationalities hardly got a mention.

 

Similar to WW2 movies made in Hollywood. All about the Americans. 555

 

Oh, and in case you haven't seen any Hollywood made Vietnam movies, America won that war too.

 

 

Edited September 21, 2020 by polpott

[CorpusChristie]

32 minutes ago, polpott said:

You obviously didn't see the American made documentary on the Discovery Channel shortly after the event. It was all about the Americans, other nationalities hardly got a mention.

 

Similar to WW2 movies made in Hollywood. All about the Americans. 555

 

Oh, and in case you haven't seen any Hollywood made Vietnam movies, America won that war too.

 

 

Did the whole USA military participate in the Vietnam war ?

From the historical documentaries that I have watched, I thought that Jonny Rambo won that war on his own, single handedly , with just a bit of help from a Vietnamese boy who spoke with an American accent 

 

[scorecard]

20 hours ago, Poet said:

That's the problem with local poets.

They never learn how to use the return key.

 

Or line and paragraph breaks.

 

Both of which are valuable in terms of correct English writing, and make it much easier to read. 

[Crossy]

Since this topic has degenerated more than somewhat the vast majority of posts have been removed.

 

It is now