SEAL rescuer Dr Park recalls “close shave with death” inside Tham Luang cave

 

 

More than two months after the end of the Tham Luang cave rescue operation to pluck 13 Wild Boar boys and their football coach to safety, Dr Park Loharnchun, a medical doctor and a member of the Navy SEAL which played crucial role in the rescue mission, broke his silence about his “close shave with death” in the flooded cave.

 

“It was a crammed tunnel which was fully flooded and no space to emerge out of the water,” he said in his Facebook post, adding he got stuck in the tunnel and as he tried to free himself, the breathing tube was removed from his mouth and the tube tangled with his body and the tunnel.

 

Dr Park said he also lost hold of the guiding rope. “I could not see anything. But at the very moment, a thought flashed in my head – will I die here – and the images of my wife and children flashed before me.” The Navy SEAL diver said he then thought about the sacred beings and his former teachers until he regained his composure.

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2018-09-24
 

20 minutes ago, webfact said:

the breathing tube was removed from his mouth and the tube tangled with his body and the tunnel.

If you ask me, Dr Park - of the Navy UDT, not SEAL - is trying to make his little drama out of the Junta's big drama.

And, as for the 'breathing tube' - his SCUBA mouthpiece - tangling with his body and the tunnel, I'll bet he'd struggle to demonstrate how that happened . . . unless he's a contortionist as well as a doctor. Just small-minded poppycock from just one of the hundreds of guys who risked all for those twelve kids (not 13) and their coach and who don't want to let the story become history.

It's truely amazing that there was only one fatality. 

2 hours ago, Ossy said:

If you ask me, Dr Park - of the Navy UDT, not SEAL - is trying to make his little drama out of the Junta's big drama.

And, as for the 'breathing tube' - his SCUBA mouthpiece - tangling with his body and the tunnel, I'll bet he'd struggle to demonstrate how that happened . . . unless he's a contortionist as well as a doctor. Just small-minded poppycock from just one of the hundreds of guys who risked all for those twelve kids (not 13) and their coach and who don't want to let the story become history.

quiet day for you, nothing better to do than knock someone who risked their life while you sat on your arse doing bugger-all, and pedantic in the extreme  -  not SEAL - 12 / 13 does it really matter.

3 hours ago, webfact said:

sacred beings

really!

1 minute ago, Artisi said:

quiet day for you, nothing better to do than knock someone who risked their life while you sat on your arse doing bugger-all, and pedantic in the extreme  -  not SEAL - 12 / 13 does it really matter.

Wrong side of the bed, today, Artisi? My points were both valid and appropriate. I guess you'll be looking forward to the next 'seal' who recounts bumping his head or bending a finger back . . . or whatever. You ought to try to better define between worthy news and twaddle.

As for doing bugger-all, I've probably done more work in the first 5 hours of the week than you'll manage in a month, or year, maybe. In fact, what do you do besides throw the wobbler when the mood takes you?

1 minute ago, Ossy said:

Wrong side of the bed, today, Artisi? My points were both valid and appropriate. I guess you'll be looking forward to the next 'seal' who recounts bumping his head or bending a finger back . . . or whatever. You ought to try to better define between worthy news and twaddle.

As for doing bugger-all, I've probably done more work in the first 5 hours of the week than you'll manage in a month, or year, maybe. In fact, what do you do besides throw the wobbler when the mood takes you?

Sorry - no second prizes today.

See how dangerous cave diving is so i think give the Thai Doctor a break 

 

Will this cave event be the longest lasting thing in history?

 

Thanks for a very scary and long lasting memory.   Glad you mad it out brother, I like to see you fight......would have been a real bummer to hear you died.

10 hours ago, Ossy said:

If you ask me, Dr Park - of the Navy UDT, not SEAL - is trying to make his little drama out of the Junta's big drama.

And, as for the 'breathing tube' - his SCUBA mouthpiece - tangling with his body and the tunnel, I'll bet he'd struggle to demonstrate how that happened . . . unless he's a contortionist as well as a doctor. Just small-minded poppycock from just one of the hundreds of guys who risked all for those twelve kids (not 13) and their coach and who don't want to let the story become history.

Such endeavours should not become history. That a tragedy was averted is something to celebrate and remember. 'Lest we forget'. You use the term 'small minded poppy cock'  to dismiss this volunteer as he tries to explain his fear.  I cant help but feel you are generating the small minded poppy cock with your mealy mouthed comment. Regarding his military status. You are wrong: The Naval Special Warfare Command, Royal Thai Fleet, commonly known as the Royal Thai Navy SEALs, is the special operations force of the Royal Thai Navy. The unit was set up in the name of Underwater Demolition Assault Unit in 1956 with the assistance of the U.S. Government. Wikipedia

Edited September 24, 20187 yr by The manic

Please keep it civil.

 

There is more at stake/issue here than the specific rescuers being part of history.

 

The details of this rescue - what worked, what did not work and all the "near misses" of things that went wrong but fortunately did not cuase loss of life (and there were several) are very, very important to document. This was an unprecedented rescue and it will inform future rescue operations for years to come. this is nto the last time anyone will need to be rescued from a submerged cave. Dr. Pak quite likely recognizes this.

 

What Dr. Pak describes sounds very much like what we now know caused Saman's death - dislodgement of the airpiece in a tight fully submerged area with no opportunity to surface.

 

Given the conditions in that cave it is indeed fortunate that only one life was lost. Even the world class cave divers considered it dangerous and difficult, and of necessity large numbers of divers with no prior cave diving experience had to be deployed , and cave conditions are quite different from open sea.

 

 

I would imagine there were many more near death experiences during those two weeks, I certainly would not have wished to have been there.

 

It was a great achievement by those involved in that rescue to find them boys and bring them all out alive.

11 hours ago, Ossy said:

If you ask me, Dr Park - of the Navy UDT, not SEAL - is trying to make his little drama out of the Junta's big drama.

And, as for the 'breathing tube' - his SCUBA mouthpiece - tangling with his body and the tunnel, I'll bet he'd struggle to demonstrate how that happened . . . unless he's a contortionist as well as a doctor. Just small-minded poppycock from just one of the hundreds of guys who risked all for those twelve kids (not 13) and their coach and who don't want to let the story become history.

So you think there is a Pulitzer in the making? 

I am not a cave diver but in the past I was a caver. In those days before the advent of LEDs we used bulb type headlights on our helmets and a battery pack on our waist, obviously they were linked by a cable. Going through tight squeezes, often dog leg or W shaped, one could get well tangled up in this cable. so I'm sure it could happen with an air hose. 

50 minutes ago, The manic said:

Such endeavours should not become history. That a tragedy was averted is something to celebrate and remember. 'Lest we forget'. You use the term 'small minded poppy cock'  to dismiss this volunteer as he tries to explain his fear.  I cant help but feel you are generating the small minded poppy cock with your mealy mouthed comment. Regarding his military status. You are wrong: The Naval Special Warfare Command, Royal Thai Fleet, commonly known as the Royal Thai Navy SEALs, is the special operations force of the Royal Thai Navy. The unit was set up in the name of Underwater Demolition Assault Unit in 1956 with the assistance of the U.S. Government. Wikipedia

Without checking, from memory he is an army Doctor and he  stayed with the kids and coach full time once  they were discovered. 

If I remember correctly, parts of the cave are so narrow that divers could not navigate the tunnel with air tanks strapped to their bodies and had to remove the air tanks and push or pull the tanks (probably push) while going through those parts of the cave. 

If my memory is correct, it could be easy to lose your mouthpiece and not be able to find it in the dark, murky, muddy, water of the cave.  

Without checking, from memory he is an army Doctor and he  stayed with the kids and coach full time once  they were discovered. 

Navy SEAL doctor and yes, along with 3 other SEALS volunteered to stay with the boys in the cave from when they were first found till they wete rescued.

They and the Australian doc/diver were the very last ones out of the cave. A pump failed at that point and waters rose rapidly.

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