12 boys lost in flooded Thai cave

[JohnnyC]

I could not imagine a situation that would call for complete sedation. The level of risk, not least of which is respiratory sedation without a way to moniter and correct, would seem to great under any circumstance. However something call conscious sedation or procedual sedation might be appropriate for any child deemed unusually anxious about the event.

Perhaps evaluation by a trained child psychologist or at least a dive instructor that frequently works with teens?

Give the kids a Xanax and hope for the best?

 

[uncfnp]

... and hope for the best?

I should hope not. That is I certainly hope for the best but I would think that there are experts there in all applicable fields that will allow them to do more than just hope.

 

[Dan]

Activities on day 15:


Crunch time:

 

[MikeyIdea]

An overview of the flooded areas if there is an extraction. From the kids current location:
1) Diving 300 to 350 metres, not straight forward diving
then trek a bit
2) Diving 100 to 150 metres and they get to the area called Pattaya Beach
then trek a big longer
3) Diving 300 to 350 metres again, difficult, some area really narrow, may still have to go one by one
4) 150 to 200 metres diving again
And they get to the intersection, has some dry area, can rest
6) then dive 100 to 200 metres again
Totally 1,000 to 1,250 metres, no easy diving, most pretty difficult diving, some very difficult diving.
It takes some 5 hours without kids!
It is also confirmed that the oxygen level around where the kids are is a bit over 15% only

 

[Dogbowl]

Looks like they’re waiting for a group of foreign volunteer divers. Maybe big push is coming?

Authorities were waiting for two big groups of volunteer foreign divers to arrive later Saturday and Sunday, after which they will be ready to act quickly to bring the team members out when the conditions are right, said Gov. Narongsak.

Excerpted from here: https://ca.yahoo.com/news/thais-fight-water-oxygen-levels-121621989.html

 

[Flynn Colorado]

I’m following the rescue efforts of the boys trained in the Thailand cave. I feel like I’ve read every article about it. As an experienced diver with rescue and AAUS training, diving them out of those conditions should be an absolute last resort.

What I don’t understand about the coverage, every quote, every article talks about the navy seals and rescue divers using “oxygen tanks” to reach them. It’s driving me crazy because they would be air tanks, perhaps nitrox of course.

Unless there’s something about this type of cave diving that warrants breathing 100% oxygen the entire time, the communication coming out of the command center is getting it wrong.

 

[InTheDrink]

Give the kids a Xanax and hope for the best?

It’s probably a stupid idea but given the potential for panic in certain parts of the dive it might not be as silly as it seems. Very risky but everything now is very risky. Respiratory depression might even be desirable.

It’s a CF. Just pray they can get them out safely. So many things that can go wrong.

 

[IncreaseMyT]

I would guess that its shallow most of the way besides the part where you go to 90 ft if your not going to come close to NDL there then it wont matter. That combined with the fact they are in a remote area I assume they are using a compressor to refill the tanks. You would have to bring the nitrox in or set up for out in the sticks.

Just a guess though.

 

[InTheDrink]

And the maths doesn’t look good if it’s 5 hours min per person to get out. That’s 13 x 5 = 65 absolute min hours unless they try to do parallel which has its own risks.

This takes them well into monsoon rains again.

Why are they waiting? Obviously they have a reason or reasons I just can’t fathom them.

 

[RainPilot]

Journalists who don’t know about diving often refer to oxygen tanks when they mean scuba. I would bet money that that’s what’s happening here.