Thai cave rescue: Brit divers who saved boys say 'we are not heroes. What we do is very calculating. It's quite the opposite'

Alexandra Richards12 July 2018

The British divers who found the Thai boys and their football coach who were trapped in a flooded cave denied they are heroes as they touched down in the UK today.

There have been calls for John Volanthen and Rick Stanton to be honoured for the role they played in the successful rescue mission of the 12 members of the Wild Boars football team in Thailand.

Mr Volanthen spoke of the "relief" he felt at seeing the boys rescued after an 18-day ordeal in the Luang Nang Non Cave and was modest about his extraordinary feat as he set foot on UK soil at Heathrow today.

"We were very pleased and we were very relieved that they were all alive but I think at that point we realised the enormity of the situation and that's perhaps why it took a while to get them all out," he said.

Applause for British divers after cave rescue

He added: "We are not heroes. What we do is very calculating, very calm. It's quite the opposite."

John Volathen talks to reporters at Heathrow Airport
Sky News

Mr Volanthen also paid tribute to Thai navy diver Saman Kunan, who died while replenishing oxygen canisters, saying his death brought a "bittersweet" taste to an otherwise "excellent" operation.

Footage of Thai Navy Seals Rescue Operation

The IT consultant, in his 40s, who is based in Bristol, and Mr Stanton, a fireman from Coventry who is in his 50s, reached the group nine days after they went missing deep within the labyrinth.

The final four boys and their 25-year-old coach were brought to safety on Tuesday, having entered the network for exploration on June 23 before it became flooded by monsoon rains.

Their rescue was particularly treacherous because the boys, aged 11 to 16, had to swim through tight spaces despite having no previous diving experience.

The rescue mission under way in the Tham Luang cave complex
Thai Navy SEAL via Getty Images

Writing on Twitter, former Conservative Party treasurer Lord Ashcroft suggested Mr Stanton and Mr Volanthen could be awarded the George Cross or George Medal for their bravery.

The George Cross is the highest civilian honour in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth.

Others called for the pair to be given knighthoods for their "heroic efforts".

Celebrations held for Thailand boys rescued from cave

Mr Volanthen's mother, Jill, told the Daily Telegraph: "We are absolutely so proud, but my sympathy is with the wife and family of the diver who lost his life.

"I would like to thank everybody for all their team work to get the lads out, it is absolutely lovely."

The head of a Thai navy SEAL diving team who helped rescue the team also headed home on Thursday.

As Real Admiral Apakorn Yuukongkaew, commander of Thailand's navy SEALS unit boarded a flight from Chiang Rai he encouraged the soccer team to "be a force for good" as the dramatic operation wound to a close.

Divers carry a boy out of the cave
AP

He said: “Make the most of your lives. Be good people, be a force for good for your country."

Footage released by the Thai Navy Seals on Wednesday showed further details of the complex rescue mission to get the boys out of the Tham Luang cave complex.

The boys were held close to divers and remained motionless for parts of the journey where they had to dive. They were then carried on stretchers through dry parts to the cave's entrance.

Thirteen foreign divers and five Thai Navy SEALs guided boys and their coach out in a complicated three-day operation that ended on Tuesday.

The complex rescue mission took three days
AP

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan said on Wednesday the operation was nothing short of a miracle.

The first footage of the boys, aged 11 to 16, convalescing in hospital in the northern city of Chiang Rai emerged on Wednesday, with some, wearing face masks and hospital gowns, giving peace signs for the camera.

Video shows rescued Thai boys in hospital

Health officials said the boys would spend at least a week in hospital and around 30 days recovering at home following more than two weeks trapped inside the flooded cave.

Thailand Cave Rescue - In pictures

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Families of the 12 boys have been allowed to visit them. Some have been able to see the boys through a glass panel, others have been allowed closer, but had to wear protective suits and stand two metres away.

The Tham Luang cave complex will remain closed to the public for at least six months, said Chongklai Worapongsathorn, deputy director-general of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.