Thai cave rescue: Australian divers honoured with bravery awards

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Thai cave rescue: Australian divers and officers who helped free stranded soccer team receive bravery awards

By Lucy Sweeney

 

FILE photo

 

Nine Australians who worked with an international team to rescue 12 young boys and their soccer coach from a flooded cave system in Thailand earlier this month have been honoured with prestigious bravery awards.

 

After Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull sought to fast-track the process, Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove today bestowed official honours to all nine Australians involved in the search and rescue mission.

 

Two divers among that group described as "the linchpins of the entire operation" that unfolded over 18 days to free the Wild Boars from the Tham Luang cave received the Star of Courage for their part in the rescue.

 

Full story: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-24/thai-cave-rescue-australian-divers-receive-bravery-awards/10029542

 

-- ABC 2018-2018-07-24

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Australia honours bravery of divers involved in Thai cave rescue

By Byron Kaye

 

Australia's Craig Challen and Richard Harris, who were part of the Thailand cave rescue team, stand with Australia's Governor-General Peter Cosgrove during an official ceremony at Government House in Canberra, Australia, July 24, 2018. AAP/Sean Davey/via REUTERS

 

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia gave state honours on Tuesday to nine people who helped rescue most of a Thai boys' soccer team trapped in a flooded cave, with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull saying their teamwork had set an example for world leaders.

 

The rescue of the 12 members of the "Wild Boars" team and their coach drew divers and volunteers from around the world. The last of the group was brought to safety from the Tham Luang cave in the northern Thai province of Chiang Rai on July 10.

 

Turnbull hastened the usual honours approval process and held a ceremony to recognise the Australians involved in a drama that gripped the world for weeks, which he called an extraordinary international effort.

 

"If only leaders were as collaborative as you were," Turnbull said at the event, attended by the Thai ambassador to Australia. "You held up an example to us all."

 

Australia's governor-general, Peter Cosgrove, gave its second-highest bravery award, the Star of Courage, to anaesthetist Richard Harris and veterinarian Craig Challen, who abandoned holiday plans to take a central role in the mission.

 

Harris was credited with assessing the boys' health, administering anaesthesia before they left the cave, and advising authorities on rescue methods. He was the last person to leave the cave and learnt soon after that his father had died.

 

Challen helped the boys manage their equipment during the rescue.

 

The operation to extract the team involved a core team of 18, including 13 foreign divers. The boys, fitted with thick wetsuits and full-face scuba masks, were guided through dark, flooded passageways towards the mouth of the cave.

 

The first part of the journey involved some diving. For the last part, the boys were put in green plastic toboggans and carried through.

 

Cosgrove also gave bravery awards to six police officers and a navy officer who were part of the mission.

The rescuers were "remarkable, skilful, tireless, compassionate and courageous," he added.

 

The boys, aged 11 to 16, and their 25-year-old coach had set out on June 23 to explore the caves, where they became trapped, and survived for nine days on water dripping from rocks before divers discovered them huddled on a muddy mound.

 

"Everybody was focused on the same thing: getting those boys out safely," Turnbull added, recounting the Australian participants' explanation of how a diverse team came together to pull off the rescue.

 

(Reporting by Byron Kaye; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-07-24

[Artisi]

Good result for all.

[ThaiFelix]

What about Elon Musk?????

[Artisi]

16 minutes ago, ThaiFelix said:

What about Elon Musk?????

He was awarded the "spit the dummy award" First Class. 

[observer90210]

33 minutes ago, ThaiFelix said:

What about Elon Musk?????

He is on a romantic beach holiday in Phuket with his sub and 3 ladyboys.

[Aussieroaming]

Well done fellas, especially for acknowledging that it was an international team effort. Gutsy and inspiring behaviour under very stressful conditions.

[rkidlad]

Even though it’s a video mocking him, I still couldn’t watch it to the end. Far too annoying. 

[scorecard]

2 hours ago, observer90210 said:

He is on a romantic beach holiday in Phuket with his sub and 3 ladyboys.

And a crocodile.

[tifino]

the other seven of the nine were awarded the Australian Bravery Medal [B.M.]

 

https://www.pmc.gov.au/government/its-honour/awards/australian-bravery-decorations

 

and where ( with effect 24JUL18) they are recorded:  https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/search

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 24, 2018 by tifino

[tryasimight]

Amazing how a bye election can spur such largesse. 

[Jonmarleesco]

19 minutes ago, tryasimight said:

Amazing how a bye election can spur such largesse. 

Indeed. Especially given that they were found by British divers. 

[pegman]

3 hours ago, Jonmarleesco said:

Indeed. Especially given that they were found by British divers. 

Low blow. I saw one of the Brit divers say Dr Harris was the lynchpin of the entire operation. Well done Australia. 

[ukrules]

I noticed earlier that the team from the UK were in Downing Street meeting the 'prime minister' today.

 

Apparently Vern (the guy who Musk slandered) was there as well.

 

Link with video : https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/thailand-cave-rescue-theresa-may-meets-british-hero-divers-who-helped-rescue-trapped-bo-a3895431.html

Edited July 24, 2018 by ukrules

[Artisi]

6 hours ago, Jonmarleesco said:

Indeed. Especially given that they were found by British divers. 

Does it really matter who found them when it was a team effort?

[lamyai3]

1 hour ago, Artisi said:

Does it really matter who found them when it was a team effort?

No, and none of the rescuers are chest thumping. But it would be disingenuous to not acknowledge the key role of the British and the Australians in all of this. 

[Artisi]

2 hours ago, lamyai3 said:

No, and none of the rescuers are chest thumping. But it would be disingenuous to not acknowledge the key role of the British and the Australians in all of this. 

I am not for one minute dismissing the role played by the Brits or the Aussie's as I have done from day 1,

I was making a point to some other fairly senseless comment.