“Thirteen Lives” and “Thai Cave Rescue”
The Rescue of the Wild Boars
It is not new to anyone that Life is the great inspiration for Art, although sometimes there are facts so surprising that it makes it difficult to transpose it to the screens of cinema. One of these events was the rescue of thirteen teenagers in Thailand who were trapped in a flooded cave.
Amazon Prime recently released the film “Thirteen Lives” (UK, 2022), which features a summarized version- but with great quality- of the event, while Netflix brought “Thai Cave Rescue” (THA/USA, 2022), a six-episode miniseries on the same theme.
The case made headlines around the world at the time, mainly for the discovery that the boys were still alive, even after ten days without food. The rescue was a delicate operation that involved more than 5,000 people from 17 different countries, all seeking to achieve a goal that seemed impossible, to rescue the boys alive.
Although it had attracted media attention from all over the world, few people have had a real sense of the difficulties imposed on rescue teams, either by the physical conditions of the cave, by the constant flooding of rainwater or even by the logistics of the necessary materials. Even the experienced divers of the Thai navy did not have the knowledge or equipment necessary for moving in caves.
The boys’ imprisonment was also due to a series of unexpected events, such as the early start of the monsoon season, weather satellite problems and even the willingness to visit the well-known cave, a tourist spot in the region, situated near Thailand’s border with Myanmar.
When the rains began, and quickly flooded the cave, the immediate – and unique solution available – adopted by the coach was to penetrate more and more, seeking higher ground. When they arrived at the end of the cave, they realized they were in a no-way alley.
Meanwhile, the alarm came through the parents, who surprised with the absence of the boys. Gradually, the authorities were becoming aware of the seriousness of the situation and more and more people and organizations were getting involved in the rescue.
The solidarity of the people, especially the locals, was surprising, to the point that the farmers allowed the flood of their cultivated fields, losing the entire harvest of the season. Many worked voluntarily to divert the pumped waters, bringing donations of food, medicine and even spiritual comfort.
Only with the arrival of divers specialized in caves was it possible to find the boys. After ten days, even the parents thought they were dead. In fact, the survival of the boys was made possible by the leadership of the coach, who helped them to control hunger, anxiety and fear through meditation techniques.
Many questioned the coach’s responsibility to take the boys to the cave, but it was thanks to him that they all survived until they were found by the divers. However, to remove them from the cave would still need much more, mainly because the oxygen concentration was falling to critical levels and the possibility of total flooding was sure.
All these details and more are in the movie and miniseries. The film, more condensed, still manages to gather an impressive amount of information, looking like a documentary. The participation of the stars Viggo Mortensen and Colin Farrell is discreet, and most of the cast is thai.
The miniseries, divided into six episodes, is much more extensive and detailed, focusing from the beginning on the experience of the boys, their personal lives and family problems and the difficulties inside the cave. It is also possible to better understand the whole problem of the situation, and the dramatic solutions that had to be adopted.
The event took its toll on the death of experienced Thai diver Saman Gunan, drowned in unclarified circumstances, and the SEAL Beirut Pakbara, who died as a result of a blood infection acquired during rescue operations.
I recommend everyone to watch both productions, to get a clear idea of what this impressive rescue operation was, where the lives of thirteen boys from humble origins deserved the attention and help of the whole world.
“Thirteen Lives” can be found on the Amazon Prime Video streaming service, while “Thai Cave Rescue” is available on Netflix.