SUNDAY – JUNE 24, 2018
Local authorities contacted Vernon Unsworth, a British expat and hobby caver, and Kamon Kunngamkwamdee, a former park ranger, both of whom had explored the Tham Luang cave together since 2012, along with two other British cavers, Martin Ellis and Robert Harper.
(Vernon Unsworth – Kamon Kunngamkwamdee)
Unsworth and Kunngamkwamdee quickly assessed the situation, realizing that a pool of water had formed at the cave’s T-junction due to incoming water from the right, specifically from the Monk Series. This blockage threatened to trap anyone who had ventured past that point.
After careful consideration, the two caving experts ruled out the possibility that the boys had taken the right passage to the Monk Series because of its narrow and water-filled nature. Instead, they believed the children had passed the T-junction to the left, potentially reaching an area known as Pattaya Beach.
Determined to assist in the rescue, Unsworth, Kunngamkwamdee, and local rescuers devised a plan to dam the incoming water from the Monk Series using sandbags while simultaneously pumping water out of the pool with a water pump. However, as they began laying down the sandbags, the strong current washed them away, forcing the team to abandon this approach.
In an effort to continue their work, they activated the diesel-powered water pump, but soon found that it filled the cave with noxious fumes and carbon monoxide. Reluctantly, they were compelled to abandon this idea as well, realizing the challenges ahead were far greater than they had anticipated.
“Who would run an internal combustion engine inside a closed space? That is utter madness.” – Rick Stanton
Though Unsworth and Kunngamkwamdee had the best intentions in trying to help the children, their efforts proved to be ineffective.