IT was the story that captivated the world. Twelve young boys and their soccer coach trapped four kilometres into a network of caves in Northern Thailand, closed off by sudden flooding rain.
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They have been there for about two weeks. Could they survive? Could they be rescued?
It was pitch black in the caves, and some sections were so tight that it was a challenge to fit a small person through the cracks. The group was surviving by licking water off the cave walls.
None of those trapped in Tham Luang Nang Non caves in Chiang Rai, could swim and the threat of more flooding monsoonal rain lingered.
It sounded like a recipe for disaster. A situation with no hope of a happy ending. A mission impossible, despite the expertise of several divers, Navy SEALS, medical specialists and many other volunteers on hand to do all that they could.
But this isn't a tragic movie; it is a real life story that played out over the past week in the media, in the lives of those involved and in the thoughts of the family, friends and other people world-wide who hoped and prayed for a miracle in what seemed a hopeless situation.
Sadly one life was lost. A former Thai navy SEAL, diving in a voluntary capacity was the single fatality of the rescue effort. He died on a mission to place air canisters along the passage to where the boys were. It was a necessary step so divers could safely travel the five to six-hour route through the caves.
He will be remembered as a hero that played an integral role in ensuring the safe recovery of 13 other people and their rescuers.
The final reality is the recovery of all 13 people trapped. “We did something no-one else thought was possible,” head of the rescue mission Narongsak Osottanakorn said.
Rarely has a comment been so true – no-one thought it could be done. Did you? The outcome was real and tangible proof that nothing is impossible and that miracles can happen.
It also reinforces that our future is never certain, so it is important to make the most of every day and appreciate those we love.
Many Australians played roles in the boys’ rescue – no more than Dr Richard Harris. Our thoughts are with the 53-year-old South Australian anaesthetist and experienced cave diver, who swam into the cave with medical teams to treat the boys. As the world rejoiced over the rescue came the sad news of his father’s death back in Australia.
