The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. There was nothing for it but to continue to Steinugleflaget - very slowly. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. The device wasnt used and in the interview, Unsworth called it a PR stunt and said it wouldnt have worked to free the boys who were trapped in the flooded cave. They were Finnish divers who knew one another from explorations they had made of the Ojamo mine, west of Helsinki. But if you are highly trained and experienced - and an insatiably curious individual - you might continue on a course that quickly plunges much deeper, becoming narrow and difficult, through ice-cold, pitch-black water. Its a wonder how Vasarhelyi and Chin found this guy before Werner Herzog could invent him. Musk called Unsworth a pedo in a tweet to his 22.5 million followers after Unsworth criticized Musk in a July 13 television interview with CNN about the rescue. A British diver who helped rescue soccer players trapped in a Thai cave is suing Musk, alleging that the Tesla CEO falsely accused him of being a pedophile. He actually prefers to keep every aspect of his life away from the limelight, so we regrettably dont know much about him apart from the fact he specializes as a rope-access technician in cave diving. These include and underwater mapping device, communications systems and state of the art, micro rebreathers, allowing divers to stay underwater longer than was previously possible. British diver relives gripping Thai cave rescue - The Guardian cave Mr Unsworth did not take part in the dives but had previously explored the cave complex extensively. John Volanthen is a world record-holding British cave diver who has been at the forefront of underground rescue and exploration over the last two decades. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. On 6 February 2014, two divers cut a triangular hole in the ice at Plura, and, encased in waterproof dry suits and diving equipment, slipped into the water. British divers John Volanthen and Rick Stanton were the two divers who first discovered the 12 boys and their coach in the cave system. A post shared by Richard Harris (@richard.harris_). Stewart Cook/Shutterstock Rick Stanton with 'Thirteen Lives' star Viggo Mortensen.. This time they took no chances. Rick has deliberately never married or started a family because his work is his whole life, which he touched upon in his June 2021 book Aquanaut: A Life Beneath the Surface The Inside Story of the Thai Cave Rescue. Where is Dr. Richard Harris Now? The hero British diver who rescued 12 Thai boys and their football coach from a flooded cave is dating a local nurse, MailOnline can reveal. Their Thai Cave Rescue Film Was Done. Then 87 Hours of Footage Sorry pedo guy, you really did ask for it, Musk tweeted. Vesa Rantanen, who was still recovering from a spinal injury caused by his decompression sickness, would be surface manager. Did this woman die because her genitals were cut? Because he began to run low on gas he was forced to surface 80 minutes early. The Plura caves are now open once again. All Rights Reserved. cave The situation is already tinged with anxious dread by the time that Rick and Jonathan arrive, as hopes are fading that the Wild Boars might still be alive. British cave divers Richard Stanton (2nd-L), Robert Charles Harper (3rd Cutting his equipment away, they manage to release the body and negotiate it through the narrow part of the cave. The subsequent fortnight was a whirlwind. He was part of a team that attempted a cave rescue of Eric Establie in 2010, in the "If you have to do anything physical - swim harder or faster or anything - that's very dangerous," says Gronqvist. When 12 members of a junior soccer team by the name of Wild Boars and their assistant coach decided to explore the Tham Luang caves on June 23, 2018, they never expected it to become an ordeal. As someone who has dedicated a significant portion of his life to cave diving, Richard Rick Stanton continues to keep it up to the best of his abilities while spreading knowledge of the same. "It is very easy to judge them if you have never explored that world, if you've never been on the journey with them. The Plura caves, a still from the recent documentary Diving into the Unknown, Vesa Rantanen, who was 33 in 2014, has been cave diving since 2007, Sami Paakkarinen, who was 34 in 2014, has been cave diving since 2004, The dazzling beauty of the long air chamber near Plura, where Paakkarinen and a group enjoyed a picnic last year. All content John Volanthen 2019 | Website by, United Kingdom and Commonwealth, George Medal, National Geographic Adventurer of the year. We should mention Somphong Pong Jaiwong (of the same age group), in particular, is currently enrolled at Chiang Mai Technical College in the Si Phum sub-district, a cultural hub. Divers who have spent time in deep water cannot go straight to the surface because of the risk of decompression sickness, another potentially fatal hazard. Its hence no surprise that he has since been awarded the Star of Courage, the Medal of the Order of Australia, the Order of the Direkgunabhorn, and the title of Australian of the Year (2019). Its a portrait of incredible generosity that leaves behind a visceral understanding of where that generosity ends. Described as not the most domesticated of men, Stanton considers cave-diving to be a thinking activity which Stanton isnt the only one of his kind, but hes such a rare breed that hes got all of the other expert cave-divers on speed dial. Last but not least, the then-25-year-old monk turned coach Eakapol Eak Jantawong has since established his own football training facility called the Eakapol Academy. More importantly, though, Chris works as the Head of Professional Services at Access Group and is an active member of the British Cave Rescue Council to continue his explorations. Retired firefighter Rick Stanton is an almost 60-year-old British man who vaguely resembles the Hound from Game of Thrones, and seems to possess equivalent social graces. (National Geographic) Thirteen Lessons that Saved Thirteen Lives Huotarinen seemed to be starting to panic, which meant he risked breathing too fast. cave Yes, Vasarhelyi and Chin have cobbled together a true life men-on-a-mission movie intense enough that even Michael Bay and Peter Berg should be able to recognize that no mega-budget dramatization could match up to it. As was the custom of the group, no-one was in overall command, but the first diver to set off was Patrik Gronqvist, one of a trio of Finns who had discovered the passage between the caves the year before. He also said Musk can stick his submarine somewhere where it hurts., The lawsuit alleges that Musk, apparently angered by Unsworths remarks, began a campaign to destroy his reputation by publishing false and heinous accusations of criminality against him to the public., In a series of tweets July 15, Musk, who personally delivered the submarine to the cave, wrote that he never saw Unsworth and challenged him to show a video of the final rescue. The deeper the dive, the longer the decompression. The three survivors were all hospitalised with decompression sickness. If the divers found Huotarinen's body impossible to shift, they would have to make the long trip back to Plura, and such a device might well be a life-saver. Rebecca Ratcliffe in Bangkok Sun 10 Oct 2021 01.45 EDT In October 2020, Rick Stanton readied his wetsuit, dive harness, cylinders and regulators. We hear the clanking of their gas cylinders and the intermittent whirring of underwater scooters. ", Listen to Vesa Rantanen and Sami Paakkarinen speaking to Outlook on the BBC World Service, Follow William Kremer on Twitter @williamkremer. The first amendment of the United States Constitution which protects free speech makes defamation a challenging legal action to bring. FILE- In this June 14, 2018, file photo, Tesla CEO and founder of the Boring Company Elon Musk speaks at a news conference in Chicago. But unlike Vesa Rantanen, Kankanen decided not to push through to Steinugleflaget. As an anesthesia specialist as well as an experienced cave diver, Dr. Richard Harry Harris is arguably the one individual whose expertise led to the Wild Boars soccer teams successful rescue. He finally emerged from the cave in the early hours of the next day, more than 11 hours after setting off on a dive that was supposed to take five hours. Rick Stanton - Wikipedia It's well known that some of the world's most challenging peaks are dotted with the remains of mountaineers whose bodies could not be safely retrieved. 2023 BBC. Up until the summer of 2018, not many people had heard of Stanton. It was a preposterous plan: Behind the scenes of the Thai WebVolanthen frequently cave dives and conducts rescues with a partner, Richard Stanton . The two divers were welcomed at Chiang Rai airport with a banner that read: The Worlds Best Cave Divers. The film's director, Juan Reina, laughingly agrees that there is little in his film to contradict the national reputation for cool-headed composure. Read about our approach to external linking. The lawsuit filed in Los Angeles federal court Monday, Sept. 17, seeks more than $75,000 in damages and a court order stopping Musk from making further allegations. Rick Stanton, from Coventry, The divers head towards the site of the accident, Sami Paakkarinen calls the Norwegian authorities to inform them of the illegal rescue, The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. A British cave diver is suing tech billionaire Elon Musk for defamation after his repeated claims the diver is a child abuser. The destination for all five men was Steinugleflaget. The fifth and final diver, Kai Kankanen, tried unsuccessfully to come to Uusimaki's aid. John has been recognised by a number of organisations for his cave rescue work: Record holding diver John Volanthen is best known for his participation in the Tham Luang cave rescue in Thailand. This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. In 2004 he was involved in the rescue of six British cavers who were trapped in a cave at the Alpazat caverns in Mexico for eight days. This was a communal effort on a global scale, and while the size of the films ensemble cast forces The Rescue to make some unfortunate concessions along the way (the Thai perspective is sorely lacking from a story that never sheds its foreigners POV), the teamwork required to pull off this miracle is powerful tribute to what people are capable of when they put their minds together and feel personally responsible for solving a problem. "It was evident that it was going to be quite a protracted affair, lots of dives, down deep and cold - and that was really beyond our remit," says Stanton. In Wookey hole in the UK, alongside Rick Stanton, John advanced the British cave diving depth record to over 90M. ', 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. Read about our approach to external linking. The boys, ages 11-16, were found July 2 by Volanthen and Stanton, according to the lawsuit. Explore in 3D: The dazzling crown that makes a king. In interviews, Kankanen has said his memories of exactly what happened are sketchy (he was unavailable to contribute to this article). To Gronqvist's horror, his friend died in front of his eyes - but getting agitated would put Gronqvist himself at risk of hypercapnia. A new documentary, currently on release in Finland, depicts what happened. Mr Unsworth, in orange, provided information for the rescue, The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. But if you want to know the Brits entire personal account of the rescue, you can read it in his nail-biting May 2021 book Thirteen Lessons that Saved Thirteen Lives: The Thai Cave.. "When you wake up and you see that there are 10 missed calls and 10 messages on the phone, you know immediately that something is wrong," he says. Before the Thai cave rescue, Stanton was wondering what to do with the rest of his life and also questioning what hed been doing with his life. Hed retired as a firefighter and had become disillusioned with diving. The full story of Thailands extraordinary cave rescue, Mr Musk reignited the row earlier this month, Trump mistrial request denied in NY rape lawsuit, US rock band Aerosmith announce farewell tour, MasterChef Australia host Jock Zonfrillo dies, Explosion derails train in Russian border region, DeSantis-backed board votes to countersue Disney, Father tells how gunman opened fire on Texas home, Street piano confiscated as public 'break rules', NFL player's daughter, aged two, drowns in pool, Russia launches missile attacks on Ukraine. "I told the widow that we would go and get them," he recalls. While most amateur divers might restrict themselves to dives of between 30 minutes and an hour, at a depth of 30m or so, the trip to Steinugleflaget would be a five-hour dive, with the aid of underwater scooters, to depths of more than 130m. At the end of the Plurdalen valley in central Norway a 35m-wide river rises abruptly out of the ground. At last, though, both victims were lifted up to Steinugleflaget, where they were placed in body bags Gronqvist had taken from his fire station. Then Gronqvist steers a dive scooter towards the surface, towing the body, while Paakkarinen follows to help manouevre it. Best known as the first diver to locate and contact the missing youth Thai soccer team alongside long time diving partner Rick Stanton. He felt unable to go in the water to teach, but he was unsure what he could usefully do. This is a pocket of air that divers can use during decompression stops, allowing them to get out of the cold water, remove their masks and even eat. "Carbon dioxide absorbs into the bloodstream much faster and easier at depth," says Gronqvist. Did this woman die because her genitals were cut? Unsworth will not do interviews, Wood said, but the attorney said in a statement that Musks wealth cannot convert his lies into truth or protect him from accountability for his wrongdoing in a court of law., Unsworths British lawyer, Mark Stephens, said that Twibels (Twitter libels) show that falsehoods by the rich and powerful can circulate round the globe to their 22.5 million followers and to the media before the truth can pull its boots on.. John continues to explore and document underwater caves throughout the world. John was further made a Member of the Order of the British Empire, yet he hasnt let any of these aspects affect his work as a South and Mid Wales Cave Rescue Team Member or a senior IT consultant at Comparket. Mr Musk (R) alleged that British diver Mr Unsworth (L) had a "child bride". A British diver who helped rescue youth soccer players trapped in a cave in Thailand is suing Elon Musk, alleging that the Tesla CEO falsely accused him of being a pedophile. Best known as the first diver to locate and contact the missing youth Thai soccer team alongside long time diving partner Rick Stanton. In February 2014 two divers died at a depth of more than 100m in a huge cave system in Norway. In the cave-diving world, discovering how caves are linked together is a weighty achievement, one of the ultimate goals of the whole sport. Where is Cave Diver Richard Harry Harris Now? - The Cinemaholic Looking upset, he explains in the film that he slept badly and is simply not in the right frame of mind for the operation. Thats because they stepped into this Thailand under-mountain system in relatively calm weather, only for swift heavy rains to trap them inside for 18 days, as charted in Amazon Primes Thirteen Lives. It thus took intense international efforts to ensure their safe rescue so now that its been a while, if you wish to learn more about what all the key people are up to these days, weve got you covered. A post shared by John Volanthen (@jvolanthen), John seems to be based in Bristol at the moment, where he combines his expertise in electronics and diving to develop safer gear, runs marathons to stay in shape, and continues to explore as much as possible. All three survivors would be involved, plus Paakkarinen. Hypercapnia can be deadly, but even a mild case may cause confusion and disorientation, which in a deep cave is liable to have serious consequences. A separate suit will follow in London, the filing says. Paakkarinen spoke to the three survivors on the phone from hospital, then spent the day walking around his hotel courtyard. Cave divers Rick Stanton and John Volanthen inside cave (Credit: National Geographic) But what we get extra here are the nuggets the small, more intimate moments. He was The filing also says Mr Unsworth is seeking "punitive damages" as well as the compensation, "to punish him for his wrongdoing and deter him from repeating such heinous conduct". He eventually met up with Gronqvist, but Rantanen's struggle to pass Huotarinen's body had added three hours to his decompression time. Stanton says that he and his fellow divers considered it, and decided it was too risky. Nobody has made a new attempt at the traverse, but Sami Paakkarinen says for him it's only a matter of time. Subscribe to the BBC News Magazine's email newsletter to get articles sent to your inbox. But this advantage was offset by the fact that the men knew the victims they would be rescuing. You may want to read Twitters cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. He also knew that at some point the second group of divers would find Huotarinen's body blocking their way. But it was British cave diver John Volanthen and his partner, Rick Stanton, who were first to reach the stranded team and who played a key role in their ultimate rescue. He recommended that the Thai government seek help from divers in the United Kingdom, and Unsworth called friend and fellow diver Rob Harper. For Rick Stanton, the British diver from the first, aborted, recovery mission, the Finns' effort was well-planned and executed, if "a little bit out-there in terms of danger". Although John Volanthen wished to keep his distance from the limelight following the events of 2018, he has not shied away from sharing his side of the story to indicate hes not a hero, just a skilled diver. How would they react when they came to the site of the accident, and had to handle their corpses? Explore in 3D: The dazzling crown that makes a king. Then in a second email to BuzzFeed, Musk accused Unsworth of being a liar and said he wasnt on the cave dive team. John Volanthen - Wikipedia Dont miss out on opportunities to do something different, something outside the box, the veteran diver and motivational speaker said during his acceptance for the latter in 2019. Cave The first diver in the second team was Vesa Rantanen. It says Mr Musk sometimes used his Twitter account and emails to "publish to the world false and defamatory accusations" against the Briton. Stanton was also part of a team that attempted a cave rescue of Eric Establie, in the Dragonnire Gaud Cave near Labastide-de-Virac in the Ardche region of France, in 2010 which was ultimately unsuccessful. But The Rescue ultimately isnt as fraught a story of people coming together to save 13 strangers from certain death as it is one about why people cant be moved to save 130 million strangers from a similar fate. Rick Stanton Now: Where is the Cave Diver Today? Update He knew about the raised ledge known as Pattaya Beach where the boys and their football coach could have sought shelter, travelled into the caves shortly after they went missing and called in the two expert British divers who eventually found the trapped group. The Rescue premiered at the 2021 Telluride Film Festival. These two unlikely heroes, along with a handful of other people who are roped into the cause over the course of the movie, feel a personal responsibility to save these kids because they know they might be the only people in the world who are capable of getting the job done. Two days after the Aug. 28 tweet, Musk emailed a BuzzFeed News reporter, suggesting that the reporter investigate Unsworth and stop defending child rapists, according to the lawsuit, which is 65 pages with exhibits. Interviews with leading film and TV creators about their process and craft. With a background in medical electronics, John has produced innovations to allow the exploration and mapping of ever deeper and more complex caves in a safe and controlled manner. The active member of the British Cave Rescue Councils international team has 30+ years of experience, along with national/world records under his belt, making it clear hes perfectly qualified for his job. Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. When Gronqvist had made his original traverse of the Plura caves in 2013, he had done it with Kai Kankanen, and a third team member, Sami Paakkarinen. Cave divers the world over need to have remarkable self-command, but Diving into the Unknown can be seen as a study in a character trait beloved of Finns - sisu, grit in the face of adversity. Equipped with a dry sense of humour and a passing physical resemblance to Hollywood tough guy Vin Diesel, Paakkarinen had been diving longer than any of the others. The billionaire also said he hoped Mr Unsworth would sue him. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? Stanton is on [] In June 2018, the world held its breath for 18 days as a group of elite cave divers risked everything to rescue 12 boys and their coach from an underwater cave in About an hour into the dive, shortly after the pair had swum through the deepest section and were about 110m lower than the cave entrance at Plura, Gronqvist realised that Huotarinen was not behind him. Get The Latest IndieWire Alerts And Newsletters Delivered Directly To Your Inbox. Thai cave dive rescue: Diver Rick Stanton reflects on the - 9News "My options were to try to pass that dead diver, or to turn around and try to do a very long dive back, go back to the deepest section and try to survive to the surface. Read about our approach to external linking. The Norwegian authorities took statements from them and closed the Plura cave. Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. He was offered free legal services. The lawsuit states that with the tweet, Musk sought to tell the average reader that Unsworths failure to sue at the time was evidence that Unsworth is a pedophile. These symptoms of decompression sickness - often called "the bends" - grew steadily more serious over the following hours. Thanks to a combination of GoPro video, 87 hours of footage captured by a Thai admirals wife, and brilliant re-creations that were shot with the actual divers in a pitch-black England water tank during COVID and cut into the archival material with surgical precision, the two-week rescue effort seems as if it were staged and storyboarded with this eventual documentary in mind. We should mention the cycling enthusiast is actually so respected in his field that hes now deemed a highly-sought speaker at any caving, diving, rescuing, and adventure conferences. "This incident happened, and then they've made a film and they all come out as heroes," he says. This body was more buoyant and unwieldy than the first, and Paakkarinen came close to disaster when a part of the cave collapsed on him. Influencers: Profiles of a Partnership 2022, How to Pitch Stories and Articles to IndieWire, Where to Watch This Week's New Movies, from 'Are You There God? 'The Rescue' real people: Cave divers tell their stories - Los Angeles It's their calling. Like his fellow British divers, Chris Jewell is a recipient of the Queens Gallantry Medal, yet unlike them, he has also been honored with the first-ever Medal of Valor by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors. Two hours later, after the sediment raised by the first divers had been allowed to settle, three of their friends followed behind. The Coventry, England resident is a former firefighter with 25 years of experience, which he admits helps him in every expedition as well; thus, his aim is to provide insights to others for safer, better adventures. All of this makes for anther super entertaining multiplex documentary that has crossover potential written all over it (all the way down to the truly wretched inspirational song that plays over the closing credits in a transparent Oscar bid), but The Rescue doesnt let its action movie urgency interfere with the seriousness of whats at stake. Although he later deleted the tweets and offered an apology to the diver, Mr Musk reignited the row earlier this month. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Harry Harris lives in Goodwood, South Australia, with his wife, Fiona, with whom he has three kids- James, Charlie, and Millie. He had trained both the victims and counted them as good friends. He went back and found his friend had become stuck in a narrow section of the cave, entangled in a cord connected to a piece of his equipment. John has been involved in exploring and mapping caves throughout the world, including the UK, Europe, and Malaysia. On the third day, 24 March, the divers began the recovery itself, slipping once again beneath the icy lid of Plura, accompanied by underwater camera operators. Avengers references are made, but the way this team is assembled smacks more of Armageddon (especially when one of the cave-divers mentions that he ducked out of a stag party to catch his flight). Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? VideoThe secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, LGBT troops take love for Eurovision to front line, Why an Indian comedian is challenging fake news rules. Coming to his standing, Richard presently resides with his wife Fiona and their three children James, Charlie, and Millie in the laid-back suburb of Goodwood in Adelaide, South Australia. Harper, who had just returned from exploring Thai caves with Unsworth, brought two other divers, John Volanthen and Rick Stanton, to help with the rescue. "Quite the opposite, it is one of the most challenging dives that you can do, this Plura traverse. A British cave diver is suing tech billionaire Elon Musk for defamation after his repeated claims the diver is a child abuser. Mortensen becomes Rick Stanton, one of the worlds greatest cave divers, a man who feels the hefty yoke of moral obligation and the burden of responsibility to save "Musk's influence and wealth cannot convert his lies into truth or protect him from accountability for his wrongdoing in a court of law," Mr Unsworth's US attorney, L Lin Wood, said. Gronqvist is the first to surface, eventually, in Steinugleflaget, where Vesa Rantanen is waiting to greet him. From what we can tell, a majority of the rescuees still reside in their native province of Chiang Rai in Thailand, where they continue to devote themselves to the sport as well as their education. Stanton usually cave dives and conducts rescues with a partner, John Volanthen. Mr Musk has made several accusations against Mr Unsworth without evidence, including that he was a "child rapist". You never know where they might take you. He never married and has dedicated his life to cave-diving, in which he has become one of the most accomplished people in the world. The blockbuster vibe continues through the films characterizations, which are involving enough in broad strokes, but considerably less detailed than the helpful 3D renderings that Vasarhelyi and Chin have commissioned of the cave network; disorientation may be a constant threat to the divers, but The Rescue does such a fine job of orienting us to its environs that we soon know the various cave chambers by number.