The Daring Rescue of 13 Trapped Boys from the Death Cave
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00:00In 2018, a strange event occurred in Thailand, attracting the attention and joint support of
00:0517 countries, including China, the US, Japan, and the UK. The story began when 12 boys from
00:12a football team along with their coach went to explore the Tam Long Nong Nong Cave, the fourth
00:17largest cave in Thailand, also known as the Mermaid Cave. They entered the cave and then
00:23disappeared without a trace. Not until evening, when torrential rain poured down, did their
00:28families realize something was wrong. The Mermaid Cave is known for its annual floods. When they
00:33rushed to the scene, only 13 bicycles were found scattered about, and the cave entrance was
00:38submerged by floodwater. Only the calls for the children echoed in the night, but the only response
00:43was a terrifying silence. At 1 a.m., the Thai Navy SEALs arrived at the scene, ready to deploy the
00:49rescue operation. Shortly after, the provincial governor also received the report and rushed to
00:54direct the efforts. Fortunately, a foreigner who had lived there for many years provided a map of
00:59the cave's internal structure. Although the cave had a complex structure and narrow passages, there
01:05were also a few large chambers, offering a glimmer of hope that the children might still be alive.
01:10The SEAL team quickly prepared personnel and equipment, and began the first expedition into
01:15the cave. They searched for traces of the children, while securing ropes to stalactites to support
01:20subsequent rescue attempts. At 5 a.m., the team members, despite being well-equipped, emerged covered
01:26in injuries. The situation inside the cave was extremely dangerous. One member had even nearly
01:32lost his life, yet they had only managed to advance a mere 800 M of the cave's total 10 kilometers length.
01:39Facing overwhelming difficulties beyond imagination, witnessing the dire state of the rescue team,
01:44the boys' families felt like they had fallen into an abyss. The flame of hope within each person
01:49began to fade. On the second day, the situation became serious, upgraded to an international event.
01:55The local government appealed for help from around the world. That call received a response from
02:00countless volunteers. Among them was a water engineer. While passing by, he saw volunteers
02:05using pumps to draw water out of the cave. Although they were using the most powerful pumps available,
02:10his experience told him this effort was like a drop in the ocean. He proactively sought out an elderly
02:15man in the village, introduced himself, and presented his opinion. To thoroughly address the water issue
02:21in the cave, they must find the water source on the mountain. Guided by the old man, they found
02:26numerous water inlets on the mountain, where floodwater was surging into the cave. Only by diverting the
02:32water flow from the mountain down to its base could the water level inside the cave be controlled.
02:37However, the challenging problem was that doing so would certainly flood the rice paddies,
02:41destroying the entire crop. The farmers' year-long labor would vanish like smoke.
02:46Whichever choice was made, it was heartbreaking. Upon learning this, the provincial governor decided
02:51to meet directly with the farmers, hoping to find a ray of hope for the children.
02:55Will we lose our crops? And doing so will save the children. Honestly, I cannot guarantee anything,
03:01but it will give the kids a chance to survive. The farmers conferred quietly among themselves for
03:06just a moment, then quickly made their decision. We agree, for the children. The fifth day passed,
03:12the number of rescue personnel from around the world reached 1,000. Among them were two cave diving
03:17experts from the British Cave Rescue Council, Richard Stanton and John Volenthen. As soon as they arrived,
03:23without time to rest, they immediately put on their gear, rushing to the scene. The arrival of these
03:28two men changed the course of the entire rescue operation. They reached the third chamber, 800M from
03:34the cave entrance. Here, everyone was urgently pumping water out, but the water level continued
03:39to rise. The situation was extremely critical. After going several tens of meters deeper into the cave,
03:45a pump broke down due to overloading, technicians were trying to repair it. This was also the last
03:50point where they could surface for air. Richard and John put on their fins, diving into the water from
03:55here. The water inside the cave was murky, visibility was almost zero. The danger underwater far
04:01exceeded their imagination. Everywhere were sharp stalagmites that could cut them at any moment,
04:07even posing a serious risk of infection. The terrain was incredibly narrow. If they unfortunately got
04:12stuck in a rock crevice, they could pay with their lives. The two followed the guideline rope,
04:17struggling forward. Every meter gained consuming, immense energy. It took nearly four hours.
04:23They finally reached the T-junction, 1.6 kilometers from the cave entrance. This was the first large
04:28chamber potentially safe from the floodwaters. They called out loudly for a long time, but saw no
04:33sign of the children. They had to continue searching for the next chamber. But just as they set off,
04:38a cave wall collapsed under the force of the flood, a fierce current erupted, debris and the powerful
04:44water instantly put them in a life-threatening situation. Exhausted, the two decided to turn back.
04:50The water level was rising at an alarming rate. When they returned to the initial dive point,
04:54the place was almost completely flooded. A technician repairing the pump was stranded on a rock,
04:59unable to move. Richard and John had to share one set of diving gear with him,
05:04taking him out first before returning for the other. But cave diving is an extremely difficult
05:08challenge for an ordinary person. As soon as he submerged, the technician showed abnormal signs.
05:14The extreme fear of being trapped in the confined, dark space made him gradually lose his senses.
05:19He desperately struggled to break free from Richard, wanting to surface. In his struggle,
05:25he accidentally knocked off Richard's backup regulator. However, as he was surfacing,
05:30he hit his head on the rock wall, red blood spreading across the water. Richard immediately
05:34adjusted his equipment, put the regulator back into the man's mouth, and used all his strength to
05:40pull him to shore. Finally, they overcame this crisis. Richard and John reported the complex
05:45underwater situation to the provincial governor. To prevent casualties, the provincial governor decided
05:50to temporarily halt all rescue activities. The governor warned the two not to enter the cave
05:56without his permission. Until this point, the rescue team still had no news about the missing people.
06:01The families began to lose heart. They only pleaded with the government to bring their children's
06:06bodies back intact. Faced with this situation, the committee held an emergency meeting to thoroughly
06:11discuss the situation inside the cave. Who would enter the cave? When would they enter? Everyone believed
06:17they should wait until the rain stopped, pump all the water out of the cave, then proceed. But Richard
06:22and John had a different opinion. Because with every passing minute, the children were closer to death's
06:27door. As experienced cave divers with 30 years in the field, only they were capable enough to
06:32undertake this mission. They proposed deploying the rescue operation immediately. However, the provincial
06:38governor still decided to wait until the rain stopped, because no one could take responsibility
06:42if foreign volunteers died during the rescue. On the eighth day, the water diversion work showed new
06:48progress. The first pipeline was installed, floodwater began to be channeled down the mountain base.
06:53The gushing water, like giant ant colonies, gradually gnawed away at the farmer's hard work.
06:59Then on the ninth day, a strange, inexplicable event occurred. Legend tells that 300 years ago,
07:05a beautiful princess from the Sip Song Pana kingdom fell in love with a stable boy. Due to their
07:10difference in status, their love was forbidden by the king. The lovers fled to Chiang Rai, Thailand,
07:16and lived in a cave. When the king found out, he was furious, sending 13 assassins to hunt down the
07:21couple. While out looking for food, the unfortunate boy was discovered by the assassins and killed.
07:27Hearing of her lover's death, the princess was utterly heartbroken and took her own hairpin to end her
07:32life. After her death, her blood became a river, her body became the mountains, and the cave where
07:38they once stayed is this mysterious Tam Wong Nong Nong cave. In this event, the 13 trapped individuals
07:44were believed to be the reincarnations of those 13 assassins. Even more miraculously, many Thai
07:50people dreamed the same strange dream. They dreamt of the princess who died 300 years ago. The princess
07:56asked people to find a high monk named Kruba Bunshum to meet her, and she would forgive and release the
08:0113 boys. In the dream, the princess said that Kruba Bunshum was the reincarnation of the stable boy.
08:08But no one had ever heard the name Kruba Bunshum before. A restaurant owner posted a search for
08:12Kruba Bunshum on Facebook with faint hope. Soon after, many Thai people commented that they had
08:17also had similar dreams. The post spread like wildfire, and people actually found the high monk
08:23named Kruba Bunshum. He had even come to Thailand. Even more miraculously, he was initially preaching in
08:29Myanmar, but a few days prior. He himself had the same dream and immediately set off for Thailand.
08:34When people found him, he had reached the Thai border, exactly as guided in the dream, about to
08:39arrive at the incident site in Chiang Rai. The next day, Kruba Bunshum arrived in Chiang Rai.
08:45After performing a ceremony at the cave entrance, he entered alone. Only after two hours did he slowly
08:50emerge. No one knew what happened inside. Outside, he told everyone that the divers were about to find
08:56the boys. They were all safe and sound, and would be reunited with their families in one or two days.
09:01Then, he performed a ceremony for the princess right in front of the cave before driving away.
09:06Right after he left, the torrential rain in Chiang Rai suddenly stopped completely,
09:11the sky cleared up again. On the tenth day, the rescue operation resumed. Richard and John once again
09:16took on the mission to enter the cave. It took four hours to reach the T-junction. They connected a new
09:22rope to the old one and continued exploring. Not long after, they reached Pattaya Beach,
09:27the place considered most likely for the children to take refuge. But unfortunately, there was still
09:32no trace of them. At this point, both gradually realized that the thirteen might have perished.
09:37The two split up, each going in a different direction, trying to find the unfortunate souls
09:42as quickly as possible. Two hours passed. They reached the ninth chamber, 2.5 kilometers from the cave
09:48entrance. As soon as they surfaced, a strong foul smell hit their noses. Suddenly, a flashlight beam
09:54shone from the distance, a few thin, haggard figures were slowly approaching them. And then,
09:59when they clearly saw those figures, both were stunned speechless with amazement. The twelve children
10:05and their coach were all alive, all safe and sound. For two experts with thirty years of rescue
10:10experience like Richard and John, this was truly an unbelievable miracle. Except for their haggard
10:15appearance, due to malnutrition, everyone was healthy. It turned out that during their entrapment,
10:20the coach had taught the children how to conserve energy, constantly meditating to soothe their fear.
10:26The snacks they brought were eaten only one piece per day. Instead of drinking murky rainwater,
10:30they found groundwater sources for clean water. Thanks to this, they all managed to survive until now.
10:36John tried hard to suppress his emotions, using a camera to record the entire scene. Now they had to
10:42return to the cave entrance immediately to report this good news to the rescue team. After six hours,
10:48they returned to the cave entrance. But on the way back, after careful thought, both gradually calmed
10:53down. They instructed the staff not to announce the news that the children were alive for the time
10:58being. However, at this moment, everyone had lost their senses due to overwhelming joy. Those old guys
11:04found the kids. Soon, this news spread throughout the rescue site like wildfire. In the evening,
11:09the provincial governor came to thank Richard and John for their tremendous contributions.
11:14But at this moment, the two wore heavy expressions, because bringing these children out was hundreds
11:19of thousands of times more difficult than finding them. In other words, it was an impossible task.
11:24The provincial governor affirmed he would send the most elite SEAL team with the most advanced
11:29equipment to participate in the rescue. But this suggestion was quickly dismissed by Richard,
11:34because the problem wasn't the divers or the equipment. They had rescued a pump repair technician,
11:39trapped in the cave. Just over a distance of a few hundred meters, the fear of being trapped in
11:44the dark, confined space had caused that adult man, who knew how to swim, to lose all reason.
11:50Let alone now facing young children, forcing them to dive through more than 2,000 M of underwater
11:55passage to get out? It was ridiculous. Having worked so hard to find the children, only to watch them
12:01die now? This was unacceptable to everyone involved in the rescue. The SEAL team decided to deliver
12:06supplies to the children first. Richard and John also came uninvited. They knew the passage after
12:11the T-junction was very dangerous, so they came to provide guidance on what to watch out for.
12:16The most important thing was to conserve oxygen. Three SEAL members set out. After seven and a half
12:21hours, they delivered the supplies to the ninth chamber, where the children were sheltering safely.
12:26But measurements showed the oxygen concentration in the cave had dropped below 20%,
12:31seriously threatening the children's lives. Even worse, when they prepared to return,
12:36they discovered John and Richard's warning was absolutely correct. Their reserve oxygen was
12:41nearly depleted. Among the three, there was only enough for one person to return. This was like
12:46adding fuel to the fire when the oxygen in the cave was already scarce, and it also increased the
12:51number of trapped people from 13 to 15. On the twelfth day, the families were on edge, their hearts
12:56burning with anxiety. Seeing their hopeful eyes, the provincial governor had no choice but to make
13:02a promise. I assure everyone, the children will return safely. Facing the current situation,
13:08Richard racked his brain, finally thinking of a way, but it was too crazy, so he didn't dare voice it.
13:13Until John realized his friend's thoughts. What are you thinking? Just a crazy idea. Let's hear it.
13:19Richard's crazy idea is better than being helpless. We have no other options now. We could find Harris too.
13:25Dr. Harris? Hearing the name Harris, John immediately guessed Richard's intention
13:29and also fell silent. Time reached the fourteenth day. The British Cave Rescue Council sent two more
13:35divers. They replaced John and Richard to go to Chamber 9, bringing a large amount of supplies to
13:41bolster the morale of the trapped individuals. They also brought handwritten letters from the families.
13:46Not long after, Harris, the one everyone awaited, finally appeared. At this moment,
13:51Harris still didn't know he would become the key figure of the entire rescue operation.
13:56When Richard said they needed his special medical skills, Harris was stunned.
14:00I'm an anesthesiologist. That's right. Harris shook his head vehemently, because he knew doing so
14:05violated the professional ethics of an anesthesiologist. Furthermore, sedating the children and bringing them
14:11out of the cave was tantamount to killing them. Faced with this outrageous plan, Harris found it
14:16truly difficult to decide. But the truth was, this was the only way to save them. They were unlikely to
14:22survive otherwise. On the fifteenth day, a SEAL member went to deliver diving gear to the children.
14:27When he was one-third of the way, his air hose unfortunately got caught in a rock crevice,
14:32causing a severe oxygen leak. He tried his best to salvage the situation, but ultimately perished.
14:38This incident put Harris in a difficult dilemma. If the rescue operation didn't conclude soon,
14:43not only would the children lose their lives, but more innocent people might also perish.
14:48But if they used the sedation plan for the rescue, the children would have to endure over five hours
14:53of underwater diving. This meant they would need continuous anesthesia injections throughout the
14:57journey. Not to mention the risks of anesthesia. Even if the oxygen masks could ensure a perfect seal,
15:03saliva produced in their mouths could cause them to suffocate at any moment. The risk of infection
15:08from needles, the weight the divers had to carry, every single risk could turn the rescue
15:13operation into a disaster. Even with extreme luck, they could only save two or three people.
15:18Harris didn't have the courage to decide the life or death of thirteen people in an instant.
15:23But Richard said,
15:24If we do nothing, the only thing we'll retrieve are thirteen bodies. If they die during the rescue,
15:30at least we tried our best. In the evening, the rescue team held a secret meeting. The sedation
15:34plan was the only way to bring the trapped individuals out. The provincial governor asked about
15:39the safety level of this plan. Harris looked uneasy. I cannot answer that question because I have never
15:45tried this before. But theoretically, it is feasible. If we decide to proceed, we must be
15:50prepared for potential casualties. The provincial governor decided to take the risk. He reported this
15:55plan to the minister. After discussion, they finally decided to secretly implement the sedation plan,
16:01without letting anyone know, including the children's parents. Everyone, please do your best.
16:06If it fails, I will take full responsibility. On the sixteenth day, the rescue operation began.
16:12Harris took out a syringe, giving one to each diver. Everyone practiced inserting and withdrawing
16:18the needle from a water bottle, the purpose being to control the injection force, preventing the needle
16:23from breaking. Harris carefully instructed each diver on the key points when administering the anesthetic.
16:28And that night, the rescue mission officially commenced. They would bring the thirteen trapped
16:33individuals out of the cave in three batches. Amidst the fervent prayers of the people,
16:38the divers entered the water one by one. At chamber five, located in the middle section of the cave,
16:43they reviewed the plan together one last time. Okay, I'll be here. When the first boy passes this
16:49long dive section, I'll swim to report the situation to you. If this method doesn't work,
16:54we need to know immediately before bringing any more children out. But if it works, we continue.
16:59Awaiting the children, the divers arrived one by one at chamber nine. Hearing that someone was coming
17:04to take them out, every child cheered with joy. But unexpectedly, the rescue operation encountered
17:09a problem before it could even begin. The coach selected the four lightest children. The smallest
17:15boy named Chai was chosen to go first. But the oxygen mask couldn't fit Chai's face properly.
17:20They had to switch him out. Another boy put on the diving gear and swallowed a pill. Then,
17:24he was tightly bound, both hands and feet secured with zip ties. The boy, bewildered and anxious,
17:30came beside Harris. Harris gently reassured the boy, then injected the needle into his thigh.
17:36The anesthetic quickly took effect, and the boy gradually drifted into unconsciousness.
17:41Waiting until the boy was completely unconscious, Harris carefully placed the oxygen mask on his face,
17:47ensuring a tight seal. After confirming his breathing was normal, he secured the boy's limbs and followed
17:53the guideline rope into the water. The first two kilometers underwater human transport officially
17:58began. Due to extreme stress, Harris forgot to wait for Richard's signal from the observation area
18:03and hastily administered anesthetic to the second boy. But once the sedation started,
18:08it couldn't be stopped. All they could do was continue. Not long after, Richard surfaced to
18:13report the first boy was safe. This method works. However, the first boy started showing signs of
18:19waking up after leaving the observation area. The responsible diver immediately stopped,
18:24preparing to inject more anesthetic. But because he had expended too much energy,
18:29his hands trembled, causing the syringe to fall into the water. Fortunately, he managed to retrieve
18:34the needle and successfully inject the boy before he fully regained consciousness. At this time,
18:39the second boy, handled by John, had also reached the observation point. After injecting the boy with
18:45more anesthetic, another incident occurred. Something's wrong. He's not breathing. John
18:50quickly turned the boy over. Luckily, the boy started breathing normally again. John discovered
18:55the boy stopped breathing every time he was submerged, but resumed breathing when brought to the surface.
19:00After several attempts, the boy's condition gradually stabilized. Meanwhile, the first boy had been safely
19:06brought out of the cave. After 7.5 hours, his vital signs were all normal. After 16 days, escorted by the
19:13rescue team. The boy finally bathed in sunlight once again. To avoid causing panic among the families,
19:19the boy was secretly put into an ambulance, then transferred to a helicopter, and taken to the
19:24hospital witnessed by tens of thousands of people. Not until late at night were the first four boys
19:29safely brought out. Harris, bearing the heavy responsibility, didn't dare leave the cave until
19:35the doctor announced all four boys were safe and sound. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.
19:40They had not only set a precedent in rescue history, but also created a miracle. Harris's mixed feelings
19:45of joy and worry at this moment were hard to describe. Seeing the helicopters flying overhead,
19:51people gradually felt a glimmer of hope. But Richard and John didn't smile at all, because they understood.
19:57Now that they had saved four lives, they were heroes. But if just one of the remaining died,
20:02their reputation would be ruined. They might even be cursed by the world. On the 18th day,
20:07the work of diverting the floodwater on the mountain continued relentlessly. Due to the massive water flow,
20:12the supply of pipes became urgent. The experienced elderly man simply asked one question.
20:18Not enough pipes. Then he stood up, cut down bamboo stalks, split them in half to make pipes.
20:24Thanks to his help, the water diversion project was finally completed. But just then, a low rumble echoed in the sky.
20:31Dark clouds gathered. The real rainy season was about to begin.
20:34In the evening, the rescue team finally found a mask that fit chai. But at the same time,
20:39the damn rain also started. No one could sleep. They dared not imagine how difficult the rescue
20:44would be tomorrow. Day 19. The torrential rain grew increasingly fierce. The rice paddies had now
20:50turned into a sea of water. The difficulty of the rescue operation rose to an unprecedented level.
20:56Richard declared that if the next actions could not guarantee his own life safety,
21:00he would withdraw from the rescue operation. Upon entering the cave, the water level had risen about
21:05three times higher than before. This meant they had to dive a longer distance, while also battling
21:10erratic strong currents. The level of danger was hard to predict. Everyone understood the gravity of
21:16the situation. All looked towards Richard, the leader. The decision whether to continue into the
21:21cave rested with him. All right. It should be okay. This was the final rescue attempt. Also the most
21:27dangerous. Tonight, they had to exert all their strength to rescue the remaining people. Reaching
21:32chamber 9, after multiple attempts, they found the mask still couldn't fit chai properly. But there was
21:37no more time to search for another mask. A diver had to manually modify the mask. Chai was once again
21:43replaced. The remaining three boys set off one by one. The underwater situation became increasingly
21:48complex. The current was chaotic. Visibility significantly reduced. A young diver named Chris,
21:54while pulling a boy to change direction, accidentally lost the guideline. The strong
21:59current swept him further and further away, eventually disorienting him. Chris could only
22:04try to touch the cave floor, find a suitable anchor point to prevent him and the boy from being swept
22:09away. Fortunately, he managed to find an electrical wire. Following the wire, he reached chamber 4.
22:15Luckily, the boy was still fine, but the interval between anesthetic injections was completely
22:20disrupted. To ensure the boy's safety, Chris could only stay there and wait for help.
22:25On the other side, chai's mask was finally modified. The boy hurriedly put on the diving gear,
22:30swallowed the pill. After being injected with anesthetic, chai finally set off. Richard,
22:35the second one out, found Chris stopped at chamber 4. He reassured Chris, told him to stay put,
22:41protect the boy, wait for Harris to check if the boy was safe, then follow Harris's arrangements.
22:45On the other side, all other divers entered the water one by one. By now, everyone in chamber 9 had
22:52been evacuated. Not long after, Chris finally saw Harris. Although his spirit was near collapse,
22:58he persistently protected the boy beside him. After checking, Harris confirmed the boy had no
23:02serious issues. But he also perceptively noticed the fear and self-blame in Chris's heart.
23:08Through the art of words, Harris eased the guilt in Chris's heart, while proposing the optimal
23:12solution. The remaining journey, though arduous, ultimately saw everyone return safely. The
23:18Tam Luong Nong non-cave rescue operation was a complete success. All 13 trapped individuals were
23:24miraculously saved. At this moment, the joy of saving compatriots and overcoming nature overwhelmed
23:30the rescuers. They hugged, cheered, tears streaming down. Over 5,000 volunteers from various countries
23:37worked together to complete an impossible mission. During the rescue process, they forgot skin color,
23:42nationality, cultural differences, united an effort to write an indelible heroic chapter
23:47in rescue history. Everyone was immersed in the joy of victory. Only Harris, after a brief moment of
23:53joy, quietly sat down in a corner. Just moments ago, he received a phone call. His father had passed
23:59away. Now, he would never have the chance to see his father again. On the 19th day, the rescue
24:05equipment was dismantled one by one. Each volunteer returned to their country, their family, becoming an
24:11ordinary person again, quietly living their own life. All the children received timely treatment.
24:16Their health indicators returned to normal. After a short rest period, they would be reunited
24:21with their families, returning to normal life. In this operation, two SEAL members sacrificed their
24:27lives. One was Saman Kunin, who died from drowning in the film. The other contracted a blood infection
24:32during the rescue and did not survive. After the operation ended, the Tam Luong Nong non-cave was
24:38completely flooded for eight months. The farmers whose crops were damaged also received adequate
24:43compensation from the government. The coach and three stateless boys were granted Thai citizenship
24:48by the Thai government. The rescuers came from 17 countries around the world, totaling over 5,000
24:54people. The success of this rescue operation is perhaps not a miracle, but the great survival
24:59instinct of humankind. Throughout history, it is thanks to this instinct that humans have been
25:04able to constantly rebuild, progress after countless hardships, natural disasters over the past 6
25:10million years. And that instinct is to respect and cherish for life. Perhaps it's hard for us to
25:15sacrifice ourselves like those in the film, but when encountering people who dare to stand up for the
25:20life and rights of others, please do not withhold praise and applause. Don't let that instinct gradually
25:25disappear in indifference and ridicule.