Headcam footage gives detailed look at conditions inside Tham Luang cave

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Headcam footage gives detailed look at conditions inside Tham Luang cave

 

Footage shared on Facebook showed the difficult conditions divers face inside the Tham Luang cave.

 

The footage, which is among some of the first seen from inside the cave, shows divers carrying supplies and equipment through the narrow flooded passages of the Tham Luang cave network.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jonathan Fairfield]

 

 

 

 

 

 

[djjamie]

Zero visibility in the water seems about right. Good luck to the rescuers and the rescuees. 

[Eligius]

These videos bring home most graphically just how terrifying it must be being trapped in this cave system - awaiting one's fate. A claustrophobic nightmare (and I don't particularly suffer from claustrophobia - but if I were down there ....).

 

I can only praise the valiant efforts of all the rescue workers, heroes one and all   -   and feel the highest sympathy for those trapped young men, who are displaying such exemplary courage.

 

[YTP]

What a challenge this has been.

 

I also salute everyone who has been involved in the search and rescue mission.  Huge physical and mental toll.  Hope they are rewarded with success and no more lives lost.

[josephbloggs]

Unbelievable what these absolutely heroic people are putting themselves though.

 

What strikes me is that a thread like this that shows the reality of what is happening gets 3-4 replies.  Whereas the other ones where every one can pretend to be an ex-Marine, a diving expert, a drilling expert, a cave expert, a rescue expert, can go on for pages and pages of nonsense - belittling Thais, belittling rescue efforts.  But here it really is, in black and white, the hardship.  Where are those same people to belittle the efforts in this thread??  Conspicuous by their absence.  The difference couldn't be more telling.

 

 

 

 

[4evermaat]

9 minutes ago, josephbloggs said:

Unbelievable what these absolutely heroic people are putting themselves though.

 

What strikes me is that a thread like this that shows the reality of what is happening gets 3-4 replies.  Whereas the other ones where every one can pretend to be an ex-Marine, a diving expert, a drilling expert, a cave expert, a rescue expert, can go on for pages and pages of nonsense - belittling Thais, belittling rescue efforts.  But here it really is, in black and white, the hardship.  Where are those same people to belittle the efforts in this thread??  Conspicuous by their absence.  The difference couldn't be more telling.

 

 

 

 

This thread might provide some insight as to what fueled the initial drama:

 

 

Those links (at least some of them) along with some 3d models of the cave explaining the challenges in getting in/out would have helped. 

 

Also accurate reporting of which coach led the boys in vs which one was not present should have been clear from the beginning. 

[surangw]

footage from a digital camera ?

 

[Damrongsak]

That 20 minute video of a handful of guys going down a slope and into the water really shows how agonizingly slow and difficult it is.  And think of the people who snaked in those big pump hoses!

[Fish Head Soup]

It's terrifying, I'm claustrophobic at the best of times, and videos like this make for uncomfortable viewing for me.

 

Anyone and everyone who goes in there to do their part in trying to save lives is a better man than me. Credit where it's due, I really hope they can pull this off.

 

RIP to Saman Guman who lost his life earlier today whilst delivering air tanks down there.

 

Good luck be with them all.

 

 

[Damrongsak]

I've been in a dry cave with a flat floor where I had to barely squeeze through a narrow passage, and I only weighed about 52 kg at the time.  Maybe a 30 cm x 60 cm opening.  And I was only in there 15 minutes with no baggage whatsoever.  These rescuer folks are WOW! 

[lamyai3]

Some of the clearest footage I've seen so far was just on the ITV news at ten (UK), of the rescue team up to their chins in water proceeding down a narrow tunnel. Not sure if this is in the links above, but it really hammers home how difficult the conditions are:

 

 

 

 

[Fish Head Soup]

Interesting little animation.

 

 

 

 

 

[4evermaat]

 

Looks like a practice run carrying out trapped personnel via sealed wetbag. Not easy at all. 

[markpbfree]

 There are no words that can express my admiration and respect for these men. Their bravery is beyond words. I pray that they will be successful in their efforts to rescue these young boys.  These video clips truly bring to light the perilous mission that you have undertaken. I pray for you all.

[Antonymous]

Footage shared on Facebook showed the difficult conditions divers face inside the Tham Luang cave.

 

Does anyone have a link to this video (for those of us who don't play Facebook).

[khaowong1]

Wow… after watching those video's, scared the hell out of me, but I don't like closed in spaces anyway.  Good luck to whatever you try.  

[Kerryd]

Those videos show just how difficult a task it will be to get those kids (and coach) out of there. 

As you can see, some of those channels are very small (remember the other articles about the divers having to take their air tanks off in order to get through some openings). 
Keep in mind as well that this is a few days after the last rains and they've been pumping massive amounts of water out of those caverns as well. You can imagine what it must have been like for the first few divers going in there literally blind, when the water levels were much higher and flowing faster.
 

Murky water, no knowledge of the channels, no way of knowing how far you may have to go or if the passageway will narrow even more, fast flowing water and just a headlamp to guide you.
Scary stuff.

I've gone hiking alone in remote mountains full of grizzlies, wolves, cougars and wolverine. I've been shot at in war zones (like Croatia in the early 90s) and in live-fire training exercises. I spent 10 years working in Afghanistan and had thousands of rockets fired at camps I've been in (as well as suicide bombers and terrorist attacks). (At one point it was noted that in one year alone the camp I was in had been hit with over 400 rocket attacks. They usually fired 2 rockets during each attack but the military only counted the ones that landed in the camp or within 100 meters of the perimeter fence. The couple of years previous to that were worse.)

To me, none of that was as scary as trying to do what those divers did when they were trying to find those kids. Balls of steel on those guys !
 

They say it's an 11 hour round trip. That means, for experienced divers, it would take 5 1/2 hours(ish) to get from where the kids are back to the entrance. Probably add a couple hours to that per kid (and they've mentioned that they would probably only try to take one at a time to prevent "bottlenecks" from occurring along the way).

I can't see how they are suddenly in danger of suffocation though. Yeah there are a few more people in that cavern now but it's not like the population tripled suddenly and it's not like they can't bring a couple extra bottles of 0₂ and open them in the cavern. 
If they can run a telephone line into the cavern I'm sure they could also run a small pipe (i.e. 1" diameter) and force feed fresh air into that area. 

I suspect they are going to have to step up their efforts real soon, especially if they get hit with a heavy rain (which is very likely). That could be disastrous to everyone involved. 

[Kerryd]

13 minutes ago, Antonymous said:

Footage shared on Facebook showed the difficult conditions divers face inside the Tham Luang cave.

 

Does anyone have a link to this video (for those of us who don't play Facebook).

I checked and all those video URLs are Facebook links. Not sure if they are copied on any of the news service sites.

[Tug]

Still here looks miserable to me on the + side a lot of it your head is above water that will help a lot with the fear most experience in 0 visibility diving god speed good luck kudos

[zydeco]

Another big rain and I'm guessing all those passageways with little headroom will fill completely. If they are going to evacuate them, they better do it now. Somebody needs to make the call.

[toofarnorth]

In one of the clips all were up to their necks in water yet they were holding on to a rope that had been put in previously ,  far to claustraphobic for me,  that was far enough , no way could I see how far the rope went , bloody good team work down there . Not for the faint hearted like me.

[Cake Monster]

These kind of men are a very special breed, that will sacrifice themselves to get these young kids out,

One Thai ex SEAL has already given the ultimate - his life

Apparently, he had worked for 12 hours non stop ferrying air tanks down the cave for his fellow divers

A true hero