So the Norwegian police called off the recovery. The lawsuit filed in Los Angeles federal court Monday seeks more than $75,000 in damages and a court order stopping Musk from making further allegations. The And when he learned of the soccer team trapped in Tham Luang, he didnt hesitate to call them starting with record-holding cave-diver (and IT consultant) John Volanthen, who becomes his stalwart right-hand man. Read More: Where is Water Engineer Thanet Natisri Now? These include and underwater mapping device, communications systems and state of the art, micro rebreathers, allowing divers to stay underwater longer than was previously possible. Crucially however, Vasarhelyi and Chin also know their limits. How would they react when they came to the site of the accident, and had to handle their corpses? "I don't say that there was no risk to us," says Paakkarinen. cave diver On 6 February 2014, two divers cut a triangular hole in the ice at Plura, and, encased in waterproof dry suits and diving equipment, slipped into the water. John played a key role in the Tham Luang Thailand cave rescue. But it was British cave diver John Volanthen and his partner, Rick Stanton, who were first to reach the stranded team and who played a key role in their ultimate rescue. asks Juan Reina. Stephens did not say when Unsworth planned to file a claim in the British courts. As if thats not enough, he has even obtained a Bravery Award from his home county of Somerset, South West England he resides in the village of Cheddar here with his wife, Laura Trowbridge. Finns also have a proud history of going to great lengths to retrieve the bodies of deceased friends. Like his fellow British divers, Chris Jewell is a recipient of the Queens Gallantry Medal, yet unlike them, he has also been honored with the first-ever Medal of Valor by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors. John began caving with the scouts at the age of 14 and continues to push the limits of underwater cave exploration to this day. They had a distinct advantage over the British rescue team - they had performed the traverse before, so felt confident they could reach the bodies from the Plura side, cut Huotarinen's body free and guide both of them to the surface. Described as the A Team of "There are lots of questions - the original questions - about where the cave goes, and where the water comes from, and they are still there," he says. The filing also says Mr Unsworth is seeking "punitive damages" as well as the compensation, "to punish him for his wrongdoing and deter him from repeating such heinous conduct". Sorry pedo guy, you really did ask for it, Musk tweeted. The billionaire also said he hoped Mr Unsworth would sue him. Volanthen and his diving partner, Rick Stanton who together held the record for diving the greatest depth in a British cave, 76m offered their services. "If you have to do anything physical - swim harder or faster or anything - that's very dangerous," says Gronqvist. FILE- In this June 14, 2018, file photo, Tesla CEO and founder of the Boring Company Elon Musk speaks at a news conference in Chicago. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. And our white bread heroes who, similar to Free Solo protagonist Alex Honnold, have trouble communicating with other people as it is find themselves lost in translation between the Royal Thai Navy and the U.S. Special Forces whove shown up for some extra muscle. Gronqvist is the first to surface, eventually, in Steinugleflaget, where Vesa Rantanen is waiting to greet him. The entrepreneur posted footage of the vehicle on Twitter and suggested it could be used to help save the trapped teens. A new documentary, currently on release in Finland, depicts what happened. The moment you see the people who answer it, youll know why this ordeal had to be made into a movie. John has been involved in a number of search, rescue, and recovery incidents in the UK, Ireland, France and further afield. It's Me, Margaret' to 'R.M.N. The blockbuster vibe continues through the films characterizations, which are involving enough in broad strokes, but considerably less detailed than the helpful 3D renderings that Vasarhelyi and Chin have commissioned of the cave network; disorientation may be a constant threat to the divers, but The Rescue does such a fine job of orienting us to its environs that we soon know the various cave chambers by number. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. Nobody has made a new attempt at the traverse, but Sami Paakkarinen says for him it's only a matter of time. Tesla did not respond to requests for comment Monday. Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! An email to Buzzfeed reporter Ryan Mac included the claim the Briton was a "child rapist", imploring the reporter to "find out what's actually going on" and suggesting the diver took no part in the cave rescue. But when they dived down to survey the site of Huotarinen's accident, they discovered that he could not be readily freed from the Steinugleflaget side, and he blocked access to the second victim, Uusimaki. Stanton says that he and his fellow divers considered it, and decided it was too risky. Living in Bristol, in the UK, John spends his spare time running ultra marathons. On the other hand, we have Adul Dul Samon, the only English speaker of the trapped 13 and hence the one to communicate with the initial rescue group, who has since made his way to the US. Best known as the first diver to locate and contact the missing youth Thai soccer team alongside long time diving partner Rick Stanton. Avengers references are made, but the way this team is assembled smacks more of Armageddon (especially when one of the cave-divers mentions that he ducked out of a stag party to catch his flight). From what we can tell, a majority of the rescuees still reside in their native province of Chiang Rai in Thailand, where they continue to devote themselves to the sport as well as their education. Rantanen later found out that while he had been struggling to pass Huotarinen's body, the diver behind him, Jari Uusimaki, was also running into difficulties. John was further made a Member of the Order of the British Empire, yet he hasnt let any of these aspects affect his work as a South and Mid Wales Cave Rescue Team Member or a senior IT consultant at Comparket. When 12 members of a junior soccer team by the name of Wild Boars and their assistant coach decided to explore the Tham Luang caves on June 23, 2018, they never expected it to become an ordeal. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Diver Vernon Unsworth, who lives north of London, contends that Musk made the false allegation on Twitter and then repeated multiple other falsehoods after the dramatic rescue of a dozen youth soccer players and their coach in July. This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. To get in touch, please email Biography - John Volanthen Holding your breath through Vasarhelyi and Chins harrowing climax, its impossible not to think of all the people who might still be alive today if more of us could recognize that obligation when it called. The subsequent fortnight was a whirlwind. This was a communal effort on a global scale, and while the size of the films ensemble cast forces The Rescue to make some unfortunate concessions along the way (the Thai perspective is sorely lacking from a story that never sheds its foreigners POV), the teamwork required to pull off this miracle is powerful tribute to what people are capable of when they put their minds together and feel personally responsible for solving a problem. The three survivors were all hospitalised with decompression sickness. Dul, Mark, Phonchai Tee Khamluang, and their assistant coach Eakapol Eak Chantawong were stateless when the incident occurred, but they were granted complete Thai citizenship on September 26, 2018. The lawsuit explains Unsworths role in the rescue, saying that on June 23, when the soccer players became trapped, several Thai officials called and asked him to go to the cave as soon as possible. The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. Obsessively. The Rescue is first and foremost a riveting, immersive, stomach-in-your-throat documentary about the youth soccer team who were trapped deep within a flooded cave in Northern Thailand during the summer of 2018. VideoThe secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, LGBT troops take love for Eurovision to front line, Why an Indian comedian is challenging fake news rules. 'The Rescue' real people: Cave divers tell their stories - Los Angeles But the mission had to be planned in secret. Free Solo filmmakers E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin further cementing their reputation as rock stars of the extreme non-fiction cinema scene with their most absorbing and ingeniously crafted stress-fest to date so intimately embed us with the ragtag team of cave divers who attempted the impossible that we feel worthy of a medal just for watching them do it. Two days after the Aug. 28 tweet, Musk emailed a BuzzFeed News reporter, suggesting that the reporter investigate Unsworth and stop defending child rapists, according to the lawsuit, which is 65 pages with exhibits. Where is Water Engineer Thanet Natisri Now. "I've been thinking about this every single night since I walked out of here," Gronqvist says evenly. 2023 BBC. At the time of the accident he was teaching a diving course in Mexico. The fifth and final diver, Kai Kankanen, tried unsuccessfully to come to Uusimaki's aid. A British diver who helped rescue soccer players trapped in a Thai cave is suing Musk, alleging that the Tesla CEO falsely accused him of being a pedophile. cave He also knew that at some point the second group of divers would find Huotarinen's body blocking their way. The Rescue begins the day after the Wild Boars soccer team and their twentysomething coach have become trapped in the waterlogged recesses of the Tham Luang Nang Non cave after monsoon season arrives a full month early. The phrase "kaveria ei jateta" - "never leave a friend behind" - was used by Finnish soldiers, who put themselves in grave danger to recover the bodies of fallen comrades during the Winter War against the USSR in 1939-1940. Having the bodies would help the families grieve, and would also help to prevent lengthy delays to insurance and inheritance settlements. Vernon Unsworth helped with the rescue of 12 Thai teenagers from a flooded cave in July. Did this woman die because her genitals were cut? You may want to read Twitters cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. It appears as if hes happily attending a summer program at Cornell University at the moment, all the while being enrolled at The Masters School in New York (graduating class of 2023). Norwegian police believe Uusimaki panicked after he reached the scene of the first accident. At last, though, both victims were lifted up to Steinugleflaget, where they were placed in body bags Gronqvist had taken from his fire station. That feat is all the more impressive considering the insanity of the plan that Dr. Richard Harris devises to get the kids out of the cave without drowning. In June 2018, the world held its breath for 18 days as a group of elite cave divers risked everything to rescue 12 boys and their coach from an underwater cave in Northern Thailand. The boys, who were all members of a soccer team, had gone into a long, winding underground cave with their coach to celebrate one of the boy's birthdays. In February 2014 two divers died at a depth of more than 100m in a huge cave system in Norway. Rain is slatting down across the entire cave system, causing the water levels to rise with every passing second. Retired firefighter Rick Stanton is an almost 60-year-old British man who vaguely resembles the Hound from Game of Thrones, and seems to possess equivalent social graces. The film's director, Juan Reina, laughingly agrees that there is little in his film to contradict the national reputation for cool-headed composure. It proved a more difficult day than they anticipated. To view this content choose accept and continue. WebVolanthen frequently cave dives and conducts rescues with a partner, Richard Stanton . We should mention Somphong Pong Jaiwong (of the same age group), in particular, is currently enrolled at Chiang Mai Technical College in the Si Phum sub-district, a cultural hub. This time the team launched their recovery from Steinugleflaget. This Article is related to: Film, Reviews and tagged free solo, Reviews, Telluride Film Festival, The Rescue. normal' for Thai cave rescuer who lives in Clare However, he has since received the Bronze Cross, the Royal Humane Societys Bronze Medal, the honor of Pride of Britain, the George Medal, and the Queens Gallantry Medal all in 2018 or 2019. He actually continues to actively volunteer in a wide variety of search-rescue operations, all the while teaming up with charities like Operation Flinders Foundation as well as hosting his Real Risk Podcast. Richard is also an aspiring filmmaker and an author he co-wrote Against All Odds (November 2019) with Craig Callen and penned a childrens book Alfie the Brave (April 2022).