Thai Cave Rescuer Explains Why Elon Musk's Rescue Idea Wouldn't Have Worked

[Judi Lynn]

07/14/2018 07:33 pm ET

Expert caver Vern Unsworth dismissed Musk’s submarine as “just a PR stunt.”
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By Sara Boboltz

Billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk inserted himself into the dramatic rescue effort of a Thai boys’ soccer team when he came up with an idea for a kid-sized submarine to transport the teammates out of a cave where they were trapped.

Musk and a team of engineers from three of his companies even flew to Thailand to make their idea come to life. They named it “Wild Boar,” after the boys’ team.

The boys were sedated and escorted out by divers in stages this week ― without Musk’s involvement.

. . .

“He can stick his submarine where it hurts,” expert caver Vern Unsworth told CNN International.

More:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/thai-cave-rescuer-elon-musk-submarine_us_5b4a6952e4b022fdcc59eba8

[Turbineguy]

1. In such a situation

you're better off having some ideas to choose from.

[exboyfil]

2. Yes but I would have more respect

If he had done it behind the scene. He looked like a glory hound.

[mikehiggins]

3. Its okay to knock Musk for a lot of his initiatives but

the mini-sub was a pretty legitimate thing, particularly from someone who apparently didn't understand all of the parameters of the channel the divers and kids had to fit through.

So, thanks to Musk and God Bless all those who managed to save the lives of a bunch of kids.

It wasn't a total success--one rescue diver died--but the end results were almost miraculous.

[lapfog_1]

4. I actually thought briefly of that idea

when the boys were first found and it was stated that some couldn't swim.

But then I heard about the tight submerged passages.. and figured they had sharp twists and turns (both vertical and horizontal) that would make a rigid capsule impossible (probably nothing larger than the actual airtanks could be maneuvered through the cave).

Then I thought about something that wasn't rigid but was still a capsule sort of a deep sea diver suit with bends at the waist and maybe the legs... but figured that "one size would not fit all" not to mention the bulk and length of time to create, etc.

And my one mistake was thinking that some of the tight passages were so tight that the diver had to use their hands to literally pull and push their way through the opening and that this would go on for some distance. To me, that precluded the idea of using any sedatives on the boys (not to mention that diving under the influence is generally a very bad idea).

What I saw on the various videos posted was divers removing chunks of limestone from those tight passages... plus most of the cave system was not totally submerged anymore due to the temporary dams that were constructed above the cave system and the pumps used to pump a lot of the water out - at least enough so that the amount of submerged passages would be limited.

I think they all did a great job... but lets not forget that this wasn't "cost free"... one rescue diver gave his life during the operation.

It appears what they did was widen the passage so that a rescue diver could strap one of the boys to himself and swim the both of them to safety. That was smart thinking on their part and something I hadn't considered doing my armchair analysis from 10,000 miles away. That allowed them to administer drugs so that the boys would not panic.

I'm very glad the boys and their coach made it out. I hope the Thai government puts more than a sign inside the cave warning of the danger... a locked grate would be in order (that could be opened by park rangers when it is determined that it is safe), placed inside where the cave narrows... which would still allow people to visit the mouth of the cave,

[CentralMass]

5. No good deed goes unpunished.

[NBachers]

6. Yeah, that hostile response is completely unnecessary.

[The King of Prussia]

7. According to Mr Musk

The lead rescue diver is a "pedo". So, sorry Donny you are now running second in the US cnut of the year trophy.