12 boys lost in flooded Thai cave

[Steelyeyes]

I can't believe we're talking about this A G A I N . LoL

Yeah, like anyone would put MILK in coffee?!! Crazy talk.

 

[RockiesFan]

Round 2 has begun. Good luck.

 

[kotik]

He did something a hell of a lot more useful then sending "thoughts and prayers".

How is it more useful? If my thoughts and prayers don't do anything at all, they at least don't weigh anything and can get around tight corners.

If the next batch of kids get stuck in the deposit tube at the bank, I'll concede. But if someone really wants to help, they put actual work into the research. It's obvious this is the product of zero time spent with anyone knowledgeable.

 

[SailorJoe]

How is it more useful? If my thoughts and prayers don't do anything at all, they at least don't weigh anything and can get around tight corners.

If the next batch of kids get stuck in the deposit tube at the bank, I'll concede. But if someone really wants to help, they put actual work into the research. It's obvious this is the product of zero time spent with anyone knowledgeable.

Could not disagree more kotik. Elon's companies (SpaceX, Boring Co, Tesla) has some of the worlds most talented engineers. Read up. Many have invented some game changing technologies. e.g.

1. Self-landing rockets on ocean platform - worlds first.
2. Hyperloop high speed train - worlds first.
3. Tesla roadster -- 100% electric, 300+ mile range - another worlds first).
4. For this mission he has prototypes two gadgets: a) escape pod and b) semi-rigid, inflatable nylon escape tube.

More often than not when his teams set their mind on something they get stuff done. Fascinating stuff. Will his equipment be used for this mission? Who knows? It's nice somebody is being innovative and trying to help though.

 

[aquacat8]

It looks cool but yikes I would be more scared to climb into that than swim through a cave! And what if it got stuck! No one could get in or out! It looks a lot less flexible and shimmy capable than a skinny Thai boy!

 

[telemonster]

Read up. Many have invented some game changing technologies. e.g.
1. Self-landing rockets on ocean platform - worlds first.
2. Hyperloop high speed train - worlds first.
3. Tesla roadster -- 100% electric, 300+ mile range - another worlds first).
4. For this mission he has prototypes two gadgets: a) escape pod and b) semi-rigid, inflatable nylon escape tube.

More often than not when his teams set their mind on something they get stuff done. Fascinating stuff. Will his equipment be used for this mission? Who knows? It's nice somebody is being innovative and trying to help though.

But it seemed kind of like an attention grab, and odd the way everyone clung to the ideas that seemed pretty mundane. In the video, they're using a spare air cylinder which has the risk of the person inside letting go of the mouthpiece and possibly not able to access it due to being shoved into a tiny tube. You could replicate the design without those risks by simply binding their arms and maybe using a gag strap for the regulator (see o2 CCRs) or FFM as they supposedly did.

The hyperloop idea was in books in my elementary school library from the 80s. The idea of maglev trains in air evacuated tubes is old hat. I will give Musk total props for SpaceX. He didn't start or found Tesla. The Tesla model S is pretty cool (minus the self driving stuff) but the underlying technology overall isn't that crazy. It's 6900 18650 batteries like your Chinese dive light and PWM motor controllers. Yes there is tech, yes it's awesome the disruption to the conventional auto industry and driving EVs to popularity. But in the end it's a golf cart with an Android dashboard.

At the end of the day, our hobby of diving isn't so difficult that someone who doesn't buy course can't do it, and I'm pretty sure the kids will do just fine. They supposedly cut out some of the rock according to one of the reports so the tight spots might no longer be so tight, the water was drained down a good amount and there is a ton of support people. The MSM makes a huge idea they can't swim, but it's not so important when you have an air tank on your back (yea yea, I know. Sidemount.)

The real questions include will the kids take up diving after this event! And how popular will the cave become to divers after this? And why were they writing hand notes. how come they never got their 200 megabit internet connection to the cave like the early articles said. I was waiting to see them live streaming.

Mega props to all the support people.

 

[MichaelMc]

But it seemed kind of like an attention grab, and odd the way everyone clung to the ideas that seemed pretty mundane. In the video, they're using a spare air cylinder which has the risk of the person inside letting go of the mouthpiece and possibly not able to access it due to being shoved into a tiny tube.

In the Elon Musk video it seemed as if the spare air was a backup safety measure for their sample passenger, in case their prototype flooded, not the intended main air supply. The schematics would be interesting though.

 

[scagrotto]

This incident happens to be very close to the 20th anniversary of a long (compared to typical cave rescues, not the one in Thailand) and difficult cave rescue in NY. There are huge differences between the two, with one of them being that the NY cave required no diving. Similarities include difficult passages and low O2/elevated CO2 levels.

Those who aren't cavers may find this report interesting for the description of the passages and difficulty of moving through the cave (without any dive gear, of course). The short version is that it took about an hour to go 200 feet. If you've never been in a (wild) cave and seen small and difficult passages first hand it's probably difficult to imagine what things might be like or what cavers will tolerate in order to find out what lies beyond. Google Groups

On the off chance anyone is interested further installments can be found here: Google Groups

 

[Diving Dubai]

Update from Thai government

05:03 BST

The same divers who rescued the first four boys will also conduct the next operation as they know the cave conditions and what to do, said Thailand’s interior minister.

In comments released by the government, interior minister Anupong Paojinda said officials were meeting on Monday morning about the next stage of the operation and how to extract the remaining nine people from the cave in the country’s north.

Anupong said divers need to place more air canisters along the underwater route to where the boys and their coach are trapped. He said that process can take several hours.

He said the boys who were rescued on Sunday are strong and safe but need to undergo detailed medical checks.

 

[Maverick17]

I will add one thought from Saigon. Rains this year, and even more so last year, have been quite unusual. Normally dry for the entirety of December to mid-June, last year we had rain almost weekly throughout that time. This year it was less frequent, but still some random showers, and then rainy season arrived a full month early again. Idk if northern Thailand has had anything like that going on, it's a good 750 miles away. But it's easy for me to see why the team was caught by rain at an unexpected time in the cave.

Additionally: A large portion of the public finds Elon's work at Madoff levels. Another portion of the public are big Elon fans. That's probably for another thread, and there is much written online about both sides already in other places. This has been a great rescue so far; fingers crossed for more success.