Best known as the first diver to locate and contact the missing youth Thai soccer team alongside long time diving partner Rick Stanton. The fifth and final diver, Kai Kankanen, tried unsuccessfully to come to Uusimaki's aid. The Brits behind the Thai cave boys search, In pictures: Thai artists' huge mural of cave rescue heroes, More than 100 police hurt in French May Day protests, Fighter jets are roaring over my home in Sudan, JP Morgan snaps up troubled US bank First Republic. Sure enough, before long Stanton received a request for help from the Norwegian police, and two weeks later, he and two other British divers, John Volanthen and Jason Mallinson, clambered into Steinugleflaget. Although there are two victims here, and a sad accident has happened - when you go through this journey with them, I hope people understand why they do this.". pic.twitter.com/PSRzzaXYfJ, CU Coventry (@CUCoventry) July 16, 2018, Like John, Rick too has received the Royal Humane Societys Bronze Medal, the George Medal, the Pride of Britain honor, the Queens Gallantry Medal, and an honorary degree from the University of Bristol. But since leaving high school in the 1980s, hed quietly established himself as the pre His account had over 22.5 million followers during this time, the filing states. [email protected], or visit the contact page. 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". The Described as not the most domesticated of men, Stanton considers cave-diving to be a thinking activity which Rick Stanton Now: Where is the Cave Diver Today? Update "Last time I didn't know whether to come back up or stay down there," he adds, hinting at what Huotarinen's death has cost him. 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. 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. Biography - John Volanthen The crazy-like-a-fox genius that Harris brings to the table is a microcosm of a rescue effort that was only feasible because of the multitude of people involved, and Vasarhelyi and Chin are sure to linger on the growing swell of soldiers and other volunteers who show up to lend a hand. 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. 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 Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. Johns success hinges on an innovative approach, designing equipment and procedures to solve the unique difficulties presented by each cave. After negotiating this "sump" - an underground pocket of water - you will finally ascend to the cave of Steinugleflaget. Obsessively. 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. Did you know that one of the experts that rescued the trapped Thai schoolboys was a hero firefighter and cave diver from Coventry? To Gronqvist's horror, his friend died in front of his eyes - but getting agitated would put Gronqvist himself at risk of hypercapnia. Read about our approach to external linking. 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 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. 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. A clip from Diving into the Unknown, directed by Juan Reina, used with permission of Monami Agency. Tesla did not respond to requests for comment Monday. Gronqvist is the first to surface, eventually, in Steinugleflaget, where Vesa Rantanen is waiting to greet him. This time the team launched their recovery from Steinugleflaget. asks Juan Reina. The last soccer player was rescued July 8. Together with Mr. Unsworth, Mr. Harper, Mr. Volanthen, and Mr. Stanton put together the dive portion of the rescue plan that ultimately saved the boys, the lawsuit stated. He was using his torch to signal distress. Rain is slatting down across the entire cave system, causing the water levels to rise with every passing second. The South African-born head of Tesla previously tweeted it was "strange he hasn't sued me" when Mr Unsworth said he was considering legal action. Mr Musk (R) alleged that British diver Mr Unsworth (L) had a "child bride". All three survivors would be involved, plus Paakkarinen. That's why I wanted to take the viewers on that journey. Vernon Unsworth helped with the rescue of 12 Thai teenagers from a flooded cave in July. In interviews, Kankanen has said his memories of exactly what happened are sketchy (he was unavailable to contribute to this article). Described as the A Team of diving rescues by the British Cave Rescue Council, he also planned and participated in the childrens rescue. Q&A: With Cave Diving Legend Rick Stanton - Divernet Photographs courtesy of RICK STANTON John continues to explore and document underwater caves throughout the world. We should mention the public speaker is even an Assistant Cub Scout leader who homeschools his son Matthew, is in a relationship with Claire Foster, and genuinely prefers to keep his private life on the down low. Up until the summer of 2018, not many people had heard of Stanton. The lawsuit was filed by lawyers led by L. Lin Wood, an Atlanta attorney who has represented plaintiffs in several high-profile libel cases including the family of homicide victim JonBenet Ramsey and security guard Richard Jewel, who was accused in media reports of being a suspect in a 1996 bombing during the Olympics in Atlanta, a crime committed by anti-government extremist Eric Rudolph. 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. Mr Unsworth told CNN that the submarine was "just a PR stunt [that] had absolutely no chance of working" and said Mr Musk could "stick his submarine where it hurts". Thai cave diver Rick Stanton reflects on the mission to save 13 "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. He was the first foreign rescuer to arrive. "I decided to go forward, and that was a very good decision for me. 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. Diver who helped with Thai cave rescue sues Elon Musk It concedes that Unsworth was not involved in the final planning stages of the rescue because he didnt have enough experience to make the dive. Having the bodies would help the families grieve, and would also help to prevent lengthy delays to insurance and inheritance settlements. But this advantage was offset by the fact that the men knew the victims they would be rescuing. Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! The authorities said it was too dangerous to retrieve their bodies, but four friends of the men decided to take the risk - and seven weeks later they descended into the dark and glacial waters. 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. But Paakkarinen says that leaving bodies in the Norwegian cave would have been like leaving victims of a car crash by the side of the road. He works as a part-time Specialist Did this woman die because her genitals were cut? Having explored underwater caves for decades, John relates lessons in risk management, problem solving and teamwork to a worldwide business audience. 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. The first step in the five-day operation was to lug more than a tonne of gear into the cave at Steinugleflaget, winching it bit by bit up a cable to the mountain. At the end of the Plurdalen valley in central Norway a 35m-wide river rises abruptly out of the ground. He isnt happy unless hes swimming around a claustrophobic hellscape and exploring some of the only alien terrain left on Earth. At the time of the accident he was teaching a diving course in Mexico. Mr Stanton (left) and his British dive colleague John Volanthen (right) were the first to reach the 12 boys and their coach inside the Luang Nang Non Cave, with assistance from fellow diver Rob Harper (centre) who flew out June 26 at the request of Thai authorities 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". To get in touch, please email (AFP) Mr Stanton's passion is more like an obsession, and he has dedicated his In February 2014 two divers died at a depth of more than 100m in a huge cave system in Norway. Explore in 3D: The dazzling crown that makes a king. "It's a code that no-one is left behind," he says. 2023 IndieWire Media, LLC. More than 100 police hurt in French May Day protests, Fighter jets are roaring over my home in Sudan, JP Morgan snaps up troubled US bank First Republic. The truth has now got its boots on and Elon Musk is being brought to account for repeatedly attacking and taunting the good name of an ordinary spelunker: Vernon Unsworth who answered the call and (with others) put his life on the line to help rescue the 13 trapped in the caves in Thailand, he said. 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. Advertisements. 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. He also worked with Mortensen and the other actors to make their movements feel authentic to cave diving. 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. Instead he turned around and swam the long way back to the starting point. Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. 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. Holding your breath through Vasarhelyi and Chins harrowing climax, its impossible not to think of all the people who might still be alive today if more of us could recognize that obligation when it called. A separate suit will follow in London, the filing says. He was diving with his good friend Jari Huotarinen, who was attempting the traverse for the first time. (National Geographic) In 2018. British cave divers Richard Stanton (2nd-L), Robert Charles Harper (3rd To view this content choose accept and continue. How Ben Afflecks Air Makes the Case for Movie Theaters to Build Buzz, How Succession Trapped the Roy Family in a VIP Room of Grief in Episode 3, Movies Shot on Film 2023 Preview: From Oppenheimer to Killers of the Flower Moon and Maestro, How Gene Kelly and Singin in the Rain Taught John Wick to Fight, The 50 Best Movies of 2022, According to 165 Critics from Around the World, All 81 Titles Unceremoniously Removed from HBO Max (So Far), 10 Shows Canceled but Not Forgotten in 2022. World-renowned for his rescue and recovery work in caves, Stanton had a feeling he would be asked to travel to Plurdalen to retrieve the bodies - he had done a recovery there in 2006 - and had already started to find out what he could. Stanton is on [] Thats where he carefully builds his skills, serves part-time at the Specialist Anaesthetic Service Medical Center, and works to expand his prospects as a public speaker and beyond. It says Mr Musk sometimes used his Twitter account and emails to "publish to the world false and defamatory accusations" against the Briton. Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Cave Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? This Article is related to: Film, Reviews and tagged free solo, Reviews, Telluride Film Festival, The Rescue. The youngest, then 11-year-old Chanin Titan Viboonrungruang is precisely on this path, along with now 17-year-olds Panumart Mix Saengdee, Duangphet Dom Phomthep, and Mongkol Mark Boonpiem. 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