All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team

Saman’s death brought about two different reactions from those at base camp. The British divers saw the tragic loss as proof that keeping the boys inside the cave until the rains were over wasn’t a viable option because it would require making supply dives for the next several months, which would endanger the lives of more divers. Conversely, Saman’s death showed the Thai leadership that a rescue dive would be nearly impossible. If a Navy SEAL couldn’t make it through the harrowing conditions, then certainly the kids, with zero diving experience, wouldn’t make it out. The Thai leadership was tempted to continue looking for ways to drill into the cave from the surface to lift the boys out. Vern Unsworth, however, knew from his mapping of the cave that the boys were too far from the surface for drilling to reach them anytime soon. He and the British divers believed a dive rescue was the best option, but the Thai leadership refused to give the go-ahead for such a rescue.

When Thanet and Colonel Singhanat heard this news, they were frustrated. Their work for the last several days to lower the water levels had paid off, but they knew the window of lower water levels and weaker currents in the cave wouldn’t last long.