Four more boys rescued from cave in Thailand
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Keep your fingers crossed. What I did not mention yesterday in describing the dangers of cave diving was the truly courageous work of the divers to find these boys. Caving diving is mostly done blind. The first person in can sometimes see, but very quickly the silt reduces visibility to zero. To make sure divers can find their way back, they lay a lifeline as they go.
There had not been a lifeline to the passages where the boys were found, prior to this rescue effort. To have laid out a lifeline in passages almost two-thirds of a mile long, so quickly, speaks volumes for the courage and skills of the cave divers here. It is also why I am not surprised one diver died in the effort.
Please consider donating to Behind the Black, by giving either a one-time contribution or a regular subscription, as outlined in the tip jar to the right or below. Your support will allow me to continue covering science and culture as I have for the past twenty years, independent and free from any outside influence.
Link here.
Keep your fingers crossed. What I did not mention yesterday in describing the dangers of cave diving was the truly courageous work of the divers to find these boys. Caving diving is mostly done blind. The first person in can sometimes see, but very quickly the silt reduces visibility to zero. To make sure divers can find their way back, they lay a lifeline as they go.
There had not been a lifeline to the passages where the boys were found, prior to this rescue effort. To have laid out a lifeline in passages almost two-thirds of a mile long, so quickly, speaks volumes for the courage and skills of the cave divers here. It is also why I am not surprised one diver died in the effort.
Is cave diving not the most hazardous of all recreational activities?
rough death-rate per activity–
Maternal death in pregnancy: 1 in 8,200 maternities
Surgical anesthesia: 1 in 185,000 operations
Hang-gliding: 1 in 116,000 flights
Scuba Diving: 1 in 200,000 dives
Rock climbing: 1 in 320,000 climbs
Canoeing: 1 in 750,000 outings
Fairground rides: 1 in 834,000,000 rides
Rail travel accidents: 1 in 43,000,000 passenger journeys
Aircraft accidents: 1 in 125,000,000 passenger journeys..
pivoting tangentially–
Who used to watch “Sea Hunt?”
“Summary of cave-diving fatalities using 1997 & 1999 data”
http://www.iucrr.org/fatalities.pdf
“Basic Cave Diving: A Blueprint for Survival”
Sheck Exley
https://nsscds.org/blueprint-for-survival/