Must Read British cave diver slams Elon Musk’s submarine idea as nothing more than PR stunt

[Jonathan Fairfield]

British cave diver slams Elon Musk’s submarine idea as nothing more than PR stunt

 

 

A British cave diver who played an important role in rescue of 12 boys and their football coach who had been trapped inside the Tham Luang cave in Chiang Rai has hit out at Elon Musk’s attempt to get involved in the rescue operation.

 

Vern Unsworth, who was reportedly the one who first called for fellow British divers Rick Stanton, John Volanthen and Robert Harper to become involved in the search for the missing group, has branded Elon Musk’s offer of help as nothing more than a publicity stunt.

 

While the rescue operation was in full swing, Musk tweeted to say his company had built a “kid sized submarine” that could be used to rescue the kids from the cave.

 

Just a day later, Musk posted a video on Instagram to reveal that he had been inside the cave with his submarine

 

"Just returned from Cave 3," Musk said.

 

"Mini-sub is ready if needed. It is made of rocket parts & named Wild Boar after kids' soccer team. Leaving here in case it may be useful in the future."

 

 

However, in an interview with CNN, Mr Unsworth said that Musk’s submarine “had absolutely no chance of working".

 

When asked his thoughts on Elon Musk’s submarine Mr Unsworth replied: “He can stick his submarine where it hurts”.

 

“He [Elon Musk] had absolutely no concept of what the cave passage was like.

 

Mr Unsworth explained that because the submarine was 5ft 6 long and rigid it would have been unable to go round the obstacle and tight passageways inside the cave.

 

It was “just a PR stunt”.

 

Mr Unsworth also said that despite Elon Musk arriving at the cave last Tuesday, he was “asked to leave very quickly”.

 

 

Also in the interview with CNN, Mr Unsworth, who is believed to be based in Chaing Rai, played down suggestions that he was a hero.

 

"They are all calling us heroes, but we were here and we did the job. So everyone's happy."

 

"I was actually scheduled to go into the cave on June 24 anyway,"  Unsworth told CNN.

 

"I got all my gear ready, and I was going in to do a solo trip just to see what the water levels were like. And I got called out at 2 o'clock Sunday morning, and I was there for the whole 17 days."

 

He also said that the kids nor the coach could be blamed for becoming trapped.

 

These kids were just totally unlucky. Wrong place, wrong time," he said.

 

"It happened very quick. You can't blame the coach, you can't blame the kids."

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2018-07-14

 

[Hummin]

Auch ?

 

Respect

[faraday]

Lovely.

 

[overherebc]

Some news stories really do cheer you up.

??

Just googled musk and it seems in concentrated form it smells like feces. When very well diluted it helps to make perfume last longer. So it would appear the less there is the better it is.

Just sayin' in case anyone is interested.

Edited July 14, 2018 by overherebc

[Denim]

Truth hurts.

 

But if you are exceedingly rich, probably doesn't hurt that much.

 

Money is an excellent plaster.

[darksidedog]

Well, that was a fairly frank discussion of what was possible and what was a waste of time. Good job that experienced people were listened to, rather than pander to fantasy and PR gimmicks. It is really sad that the genuine heroes of the story have played their role down, while some others will use a life or death tragedy for promotion, with no idea of what was even halfway feasible. Thank You, Vern, for setting things straight.

[connda]

Nothing like being slapped in the face with reality. "Ouch!" 
And exploding self-driving cars. "Ouch!"
And self-serving PR. "Ouch!"

Edited July 14, 2018 by connda

[Spidey]

There you have it, the truth.

 

They genuinely don't consider themselves as heroes. The rest of the world does.

[Ceruhe]

The Musk hate is real ?

 

10 minutes ago, connda said:

And exploding self-driving cars. "Ouch!"

What's that referring to?

 

 

 

 

 

[ThreeEyedRaven]

A lot of people knock the British, but of late the character of the true and regular Brit has been seen. Unassuming, humble, ready to risk life and limb in an emergency, and generally very decent. Not one of the divers has sought glory, fame or fortune from this. 

And then you see some that risked nothing, while trying to soak in global attention, with a piece of essentially worthless garbage and a total lack of comprehension of the issues.

Someone tell me again please, that the British are lacking in moral fortitude in comparison to others?

[Darcula]

This movie poster is also ready.

 

[bluesofa]

5 minutes ago, ThreeEyedRaven said:

A lot of people knock the British, but of late the character of the true and regular Brit has been seen. Unassuming, humble, ready to risk life and limb in an emergency, and generally very decent. Not one of the divers has sought glory, fame or fortune from this. 

And then you see some that risked nothing, while trying to soak in global attention, with a piece of essentially worthless garbage and a total lack of comprehension of the issues.

 

That old quip sums it up nicely: Those who matter don't mind, and those who do mind don't matter.

 

[bluesofa]

5 minutes ago, Darcula said:

This movie poster is also ready.

 

I take it that's a liquid correction pen in the foreground, allowing the water to be deleted and the kids can walk out of the cave?

Absolutely ingenuous!

 

[darksidedog]

A couple of off topic posts have been removed.

First one, I let you get away with, but you came back for more, so now they are both gone.

Next one could be your last post on this forum.

On topic, no piss taking please.

Edit: Oh! And there goes another trolling post.

You will stick to the topic and refrain from personal insults please.

This is the last time I ask nicely. Warnings for the next one.

[Bang Bang]

Yep, Vern is a hero. But he could be a little more gracious. I think Musk truly thought he could help. And no one outside of the divers knew the configuration of the cave.

 

So maybe his sub would've been useless but give Musk credit for trying. He's not so dumb as to try to insert himself into a life and death crisis only for the PR.

[coulson]

Bit of a PR stunt going on here too Mr. Vern

[ThreeEyedRaven]

33 minutes ago, Bang Bang said:

Yep, Vern is a hero. But he could be a little more gracious. I think Musk truly thought he could help. And no one outside of the divers knew the configuration of the cave.

 

So maybe his sub would've been useless but give Musk credit for trying. He's not so dumb as to try to insert himself into a life and death crisis only for the PR.

Really? So he had his engineering guys draw up plan and build something, without actually bothering to find out what corners or angles it might need to pass through? If you are making something this important, you should kind of ask about some  sort of specifications, don't you think? So, actually I think your last comment, might need to be rethought.

Edited July 14, 2018 by ThreeEyedRaven

[chippendale]

25 minutes ago, Bang Bang said:

He's not so dumb as to try to insert himself into a life and death crisis only for the PR.

Apparently, he is. Any sideshow will do in order to distract from his escalating troubles at Tesla and to gain precious free publicity off some children trapped in a cave.

[JAZZDOG]

Certainly wasn't the same opinion your friend Rick Stanton had when he communicated several times with Musk that they were anxious to receive the sub.

In any case it is clear the dive team took Musk up on his offer in supplying a devise that might help which he built and delivered in record time. Seems like the author throwing shade at this point reflects more negatively on himself than Musk. 

[473geo]

As it happened the sub was not required how about if the extraction had been delayed and the tunnels had filled, maybe then it could have provided transport after the tight areas to the mouth of the cave.

I don't think casting aspersions now the job is done is at all beneficial.

[ThreeEyedRaven]

48 minutes ago, JAZZDOG said:

Certainly wasn't the same opinion your friend Rick Stanton had when he communicated several times with Musk that they were anxious to receive the sub.

In any case it is clear the dive team took Musk up on his offer in supplying a devise that might help which he built and delivered in record time. Seems like the author throwing shade at this point reflects more negatively on himself than Musk. 

I suspect they were anxious to receive anything constructive that might help. Once having viewed said offering when it turned up, hopelessly inadequate and apparently laughable, they changed their minds and worked out, whatever his intentions, they were not of any value to the rescue. Musk might have wanted to stop advertising his presence around then, not carrying on when his offering was obviously far less than impressive.

[JAZZDOG]

16 minutes ago, ThreeEyedRaven said:

Really? So he had his engineering guys draw up plan and build something, without actually bothering to find out what corners or angles it might need to pass through? If you are making something this important, you should kind of ask about some  sort of specifications, don't you think? So, actually I think your last comment, might need to be rethought.

Oh course he ask and was communicating with Rick Stanton. He was working on input he received from the divers. You people make it sound like he built the device and just showed up unannounced and was allowed to just go into chamber 3.

[harrry]

One diver Rick Stanton communicated with him....

 

[harrry]

I hope Vern receives one of those Elite Cards and not just the ones that flew in.

[ThreeEyedRaven]

1 minute ago, JAZZDOG said:

Oh course he ask and was communicating with Rick Stanton. He was working on input he received from the divers. You people make it sound like he built the device and just showed up unannounced and was allowed to just go into chamber 3.

If he was communicating, at least in any meaningful way, he would know it had to go around very tight corners, so you would know before you started a rigid structure was not remotely possible. But he turns up with just that. So, Yeah! He built a  watertight tube with an air supply that any decent engineering firm could  make in half a day and pitched up, to be told to go away, cos that is <deleted>. He did announce his arrival though. Very publicly.  Make no mistake about that part. Quite quiet about his subsequent dismissal from the cave though it seems.

[Bang Bang]

3 hours ago, ThreeEyedRaven said:

Really? So he had his engineering guys draw up plan and build something, without actually bothering to find out what corners or angles it might need to pass through?

Bit hasty condemnation. There were reports of underwater jackhammers being used. They could probably have widened a couple of the tunnels if push came to shove.

 

But again glad it all worked out anyway.

[Bang Bang]

3 hours ago, chippendale said:

Apparently, he is. Any sideshow will do in order to distract from his escalating troubles at Tesla and to gain precious free publicity off some children trapped in a cave.

Lordie, Musk's one of the most successful entrepreneurs on the planet, Tesla, Space X, ... Of course, when you're pushing the envelope on engineering you're going to run into issues.

 

Little people like you and me have little problems, billionaire businessmen have really big ones. Little people have internet forums to vent their frustration with their little lives, billionaires can deploy thousands of engineers to fix a bug and then retreat to a yacht to unwind.

 

Life ain't fair. Deal with it.

[lamyai3]

3 hours ago, harrry said:

One diver Rick Stanton communicated with him....

He was encouraged by Rick Stanton to continue, though their communications appeared to stop once the rescue mission started. 

 

3 hours ago, harrry said:

I hope Vern receives one of those Elite Cards and not just the ones that flew in.

Probably not so useful to him if he's already living here and on yearly visa extensions. 

[lamyai3]

5 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

He also said that the kids nor the coach could be blamed for becoming trapped.

 

These kids were just totally unlucky. Wrong place, wrong time," he said.

Agree wholeheartedly with this

[oldhippy]

If mr Musk wants to be really helpfull to Thailand, he should concentrate on what he does best.

 

Mr Musk could solve Thailand's garbage problem.

 

Mr Musk should supply enough rockets and shoot the garbage into space, same as mr Musk did with that stupid car of his.