Elon Musk has sent Boring Co. and SpaceX engineers to assist in the rescue operation of a youth soccer team that is trapped in a cave in Thailand. The billionaire Tesla boss suggested some ideas on how to save the 12 boys and their soccer coach who have been trapped in the Tham Luang Nang Non cave for nearly two weeks.
SpaceX & Boring Co engineers headed to Thailand tomorrow to see if we can be helpful to govt. There are probably many complexities that are hard to appreciate without being there in person.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 6, 2018
Some good feedback from cave experts in Thailand. Iterating with them on an escape pod design that might be safe enough to try. Also building an inflatable tube with airlocks. Less likely to work, given tricky contours, but great if it does.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 7, 2018
“Once we confirm what exactly will be helpful to send or do, we will. We are getting feedback and guidance from the people on the ground in Chiang Rai to determine the best way for us to assist their efforts,” a spokesperson for The Boring Co. said.
The Thai government, as well as the more than 1,000 people involved in the rescue operation, has been unsuccessful thus far in saving the boys aged 11 to 16. The boys soccer club were exploring the cave with their 25-year-old soccer coach when a flash flood trapped them inside the lengthy cave. The group is confined in a small chamber that is about 2.5 miles from the mouth of the cave. The boys are hungry and exhausted as oxygen levels have fallen to about 15%, down from the usual 21%.
'Dank, murky, muddy and claustrophobic'
Thailand cave rescue: What's it like inside? Latest: https://t.co/B4DzrEKGHS pic.twitter.com/LzK0O4vuBl
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) July 7, 2018
These expert cave divers show the dangers of cave diving, and why untrained divers like the young boys trapped in a cave in Thailand should never attempt it https://t.co/U3H6wm76XS pic.twitter.com/YmB3RZJbCA
— CNN International (@cnni) July 7, 2018
International divers have supplied the boys with food, oxygen, and medical aid, making the treacherous journey where some of the caverns are only 3-feet-wide. The karstic cave complex lies beneath a mountain range on the border between Thailand and Myanmar. Heavy monsoon rains are in the forecast this weekend for the area and could threaten more flooding and halt any rescue attempts.
With heavy rain expected this weekend, rescuers in Thailand are working around the clock to save the soccer team and their coach trapped in a cave. @BillNeelyNBC reports. pic.twitter.com/zWrFPtZsZK
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) July 7, 2018
Sadly, a former Thai navy SEAL diver died on Friday while attempting to deliver supplies to the youth soccer team. Petty Officer Saman Gunan ran out of oxygen on his way back after delivering oxygen to the boys.
REST IN PEACE: Saman Gunan, a former member of the Thai Navy's elite SEAL unit, died in the massive rescue effort to save a dozen boys and their soccer coach trapped in a cave. Please join us in thanking Saman Gunan for his selflessness and courage. ♥️ https://t.co/Wf30SNZsKa pic.twitter.com/B3Mg96AQIC
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) July 6, 2018
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