Thai Cave Rescue
EPISODE 17
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WELCOME TO ANOTHER AWE INSPIRING ONES READY PODCAST. ON THIS EPISODE “OB” GOES IN DEPTH ON THE THAI CAVE RESCUE. GET READY FOR THE MOST RIDICULOUS STORY YOU’VE EVER HEARD!
During this episode Tech Sergeant Kenneth “OB” O’Brien joins the Ones Ready team to discuss the Thai cave rescue of 2018. This story has some twists and turns in it and will be a wild ride for everyone!
In June 2018 a soccer team comprised of 12 kids and one coach were exploring a cave network when they were unexpectedly trapped in the cave by rising water due to an early storm. It wasn’t unusual for this soccer team or locals to visit this cave, but usually the storms aren’t a threat this early in the season. Once it was determined the team was stuck in the cave, an international response ensued. Operations Wild Boar was in effect! Dive teams from numerous different countries showed up to help. Experts were flown in from around the world to include the Special Tactics team out of Kadena AFB, Okinawa. Fortunately one of the PJs who was part of the team was a master cave diver and was able to provide some expertise to the situation.
From notification that the kids were stuck in the cave, divers were entering the water 18 hours later. This is extremely quick when you think about numerous countries working together with no one in charge and everyone wanting to help. An important thing to note is the US forces were there to advise and assist the Thai nation. This was not an US led mission which can complicate things. Everyone had a job to do, so the Special Tactics members began cutting down trees to make helicopter landing zones for the evacuation while others began dive operations.
Water pumps and 300 SCUBA air tanks were moved into the area to begin work. The pumps were needed to remove the water, but it only kept the water at the same levels because of the amount of rain that was continuing to flood the caves. The 300 SCUBA tanks needed to make their way into the far depths of the cave chambers. So everyone involved began that movement up the internal cliffs of the cave and through the water into the chambers.
Before diving started, brief academics on “How not to die in a cave while diving” were conducted for everyone and against all standard operating procedures, dive buddy lines were not to be used because they could get caught on stuff under water. A while after the dive operations began the British dive team found the soccer team alive. Once they assessed that they were all alive, but malnourished, cold, and were running out of oxygen, the rescue team knew they had to act quickly. Full face SCUBA masks were used on all the kids while they were wrapped up and taped and bound in wetsuits to keep them from going hypothermic. Then before they were put into the water they were sedated to avoid panic and PTSD later in life. The goal was four kids a day and five on the last day with one diver taking one kid.
Eventually and not without its challenges, the entire soccer team was rescued and returned to their families. This was an extremely dangerous operation that required high level problem solving and an understanding that it is dangerous and someone would likely die.
SPECIAL THANKS TO OB FOR MAKING THIS EPISODE POSSIBLE.
GUEST BIO:
Technical Sergeant Kenneth T. O’Brien serves as a Special Tactics Team Leader for the 320th Special Tactics Squadron, 353d Special Operations Group, Air Force Special Operations Command, Kadena Air Base, Japan. He serves as the Personnel Recovery expert on a globally deployable Special Tactics Team prepared to execute Personnel Recovery, Global Access, and Precision Strike missions. TSgt O’Brien enlisted in the Air Force in July 2007 and entered the Pararescue (PJ) training pipeline immediately upon enlistment. After completion of a 2.5-year training pipeline, he was stationed at the 38th Rescue Squadron, Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. While at the 38th Rescue Squadron, TSgt O’Brien deployed three times in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM and once in support of Operation UNIFIED PROTECTOR. Upon returning from his fourth deployment, he was selected to be a founding member of the Guardian Angel Formal Training Unit, the 68th Rescue Squadron, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. He spent three years at the 68th Rescue Squadron creating unit programs, developing curriculum, and instructing the Air Force’s first Combat Leadership Course and Military Freefall Jumpmaster course. Prior to assuming his current position, he was the Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge of the Guardian Angel Military Freefall Course for the 68th Rescue Squadron.
TLDR: When PJ’s say “That Others May Live”…they mean it. This was a situation that easily could have been a failure. The Special Warfare Team relied on their training and each other to accomplish the mission.
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