Following the June 23 disappearance of a Thai junior soccer team consisting of 12 children aged between 11 to 16 and their 25-year-old coach, everyone has been found alive and safe in the early hours of July 2.
After an incredibly dramatic week of events that included drafting rescue plans and Elon Musk offering to help in his usual eccentric genius way (he proposed using submarines, seriously), the boys and their coach were finally rescued from the cave on July 11.
Yes, this is a time to rejoice about all that’s good in the world.
Just to quickly recap this extraordinary series of events, the soccer team (adorably named Moo Pa, meaning wild boar) were exploring the Tham Luang caves in Chiang Rai, Thailand on June 23 when they became stuck due to flooding and rain.
Following news of the boys’ disappearance, rescue efforts from the Thai Navy were underway and they were soon joined by foreign divers and support teams from the US, Britain, China, and Australia. After nearly 10 days of being trapped underground, two British divers managed to find all 12 boys and their coach safe, albeit disorientated and most definitely hungry.
The last rescuers emerge from a Thai cave after their successful mission to save 12 boys and their football coach. https://t.co/pna3k6c9a4 pic.twitter.com/c67hcOa5GJ
— SBS News (@SBSNews) July 10, 2018
The subsequent rescue efforts weren’t without complications. During an attempt to deliver air tanks to the boys and their coach, former Thai Navy diver Saman Gunan died when he ran out of oxygen. While Saman managed to successfully deliver the tanks to the trapped group, his own oxygen tank ran out on the return trip and he lost consciousness. His diving partner attempted CPR to revive him but efforts were unsuccessful.
Tributes to Saman have poured in from all around the world and Rama X, the king of Thailand announced that the late diver will receive a royal-sponsored funeral.
“Congratulations kids, take care. I have to go.” RIP Sgt Saman Gunan – the “hero of Tham Luang cave”. #thaicave #thaicaverescue #thamluang pic.twitter.com/C67XCwFcvA
— James Massola (@jamesmassola) July 10, 2018
The 12 boys and their coach aren’t completely out of the woods yet as being stuck in a cave for nearly three weeks is bound to affect their health in some kind of way.
But with the amount of support being thrown behind the rescue effort, hopes are high that everything will eventually be alright.
It’s incredible and more than a little heartwarming to see how the world can put aside their differences when it comes to rescuing people from a hole in the ground.
There was the 2010 Chilean mining accident which saw 33 workers get trapped 700 metres underground due to a cave in. Over 1 billion people sat glued to their TVs as all of the workers were finally extracted from the ground after being stuck for 69 days.
Flashing back before that, there was the 2006 Beaconsfield mine collapse which saw one miner tragically killed, and two others trapped in the mine for two weeks. Hundreds of journalists flocked to the small Tasmanian town to cover the ongoing drama.
Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl managed to catch wind of the incident when the men asked for an iPod filled with Foo Fighters songs to keep them company. In yet another example of why Grohl is the coolest guy in rock ever, he ultimately wrote a song about the men and even invited them to a Foo Fighters gig.
And of course, there was the infamous ‘Baby Jessica’ rescue effort back in 1987 when 18 month old Jessica fell down a well.
The successful 58 hour rescue effort caught everyone’s attention, so much so that The Simpsons decided to dedicate an entire episode parodying the whole incident.
When The Simpsons decides to get involved, you know that something special has, um, gone down.
There’s clearly something about the teamwork and hope involved in rescuing people from the bowels of the earth that captures the public imagination like nothing else.
Given how everyone is currently predisposed to hate one another in the name of sport (thanks FIFA World Cup) and, well, various other reasons, it’s clear we need a win we can all share. The news is so grim, so much of the time; the very human drama of survival, courage, hard work, and the heroic sacrifice is a beautiful and endlessly compelling real-life story.