The Untold Story Behind the Dramatic Thai Cave Rescue

> NEXT, TO THE DEPTHS OF NORTHERN THAILAND WHERE BACK IN 2018 THE WORLD WAS GRIPPED BY THE LIFE AND DEATH STORY OF 12 SCHOOLBOYS AND THEIR SOCCER COACH TRAPPED IN A FLOODED CAVE.

A NEW DOCUMENTARY DELVES INTO THIS STORY WITH NEVER-BEFORE-SCENE FOOTAGE.

'THE RESCUE' BY THE HUSBAND AND WIFE DIRECTORS AND JIMMY CHEN, REVEALS THE PERIL OF THE DARING MISSION.

HERE THEY ARE TELLING US NEW DETAILS ABOUT THE MIRACULOUS RESCUE.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

FIRST, I WANT TO ASK THE TOPIC ITSELF, IT SEEMS LIKE THE ENTIRE WORLD WATCHED THIS UNFOLD IN NEAR REALTIME, DAY AFTER DAY.

WE HAD SO MANY NEWS REPORTS ABOUT THIS.

I WONDER WHAT MOTIVATED BOTH OF YOU TO TRY TO TAKE ON THIS TOPIC THAT YOU'D THINK EVERYBODY KIND OF KNEW ABOUT.

I THINK LIKE MANY PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD, WE WERE FASCINATED BY THE STORY.

THE UPS.

I THINK WE THINK BACK TO 2018, IT WAS A PRETTY COMPLICATED MOMENT IN THE WORLD.

HERE WAS A STORY THAT REMINDED US THAT PEOPLE WHO COME TOGETHER AND MAKE IMPOSSIBLE HAPPEN.

ALSO AS PART -- PARENTS, WE WERE MOVED BY THE STORY.

IT IS ONE OF THE GREAT STORIES OF THE PAST TEN YEARS AND THE CHARACTERS ARE THE TYPE OF UNIQUE CHARACTERS THAT WE LIKE.

AND THAT THERE WAS SO MUCH THAT WASN'T KNOWN ABOUT WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED.

AND WE THOUGHT IT WAS AN IMPORTANT STORY TO TRY TO TELL.

WE WERE BOTH MOVED BY THIS STORY.

AND A HOPEFUL STORY, A STORY ABOUT OUR COMMON HUMANITY GIVEN THE DIVISIVE TIMES THAT WE'RE LIVING THROUGH WHERE PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT COUNTRIES AND CULTURES AND RELIGIOUS BACKGROUNDS SET ASIDE THEIR DIFFERENCES TO DO SOMETHING BECAUSE THEY FELT THE MORAL IMPERATIVE TO DO IT.

I WANT TO PLAY THE CLIP OF THE INITIAL MOMENT THAT THE DIVERS MAKE CONTACT WITH THESE CHILDREN.

WE TOOK THEIR EQUIPMENT OFF ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PASSAGE.

CLEARLY, I HAVE CHILDREN.

I STRUCTURED MY LIFE TO AVOID CHILDREN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

BUT HE'S USED TO DEALING WITH GROUPS OF CHILDREN.

HE GOT THEM TO DO A MOTIVATIONAL EXERCISE.

EVERYBODY SAY YEAH!

YEAH!

EXCELLENT.

SAY, HELLO AMERICANS.

HELLO, AMERICANS.

HELLO, THAI NAVY.

HELLO, THAI NAVY.

SAY, HELLO, AUSTRALIANS.

HELLO, AUSTRALIA.

HELLO, CHINESE.

THANK YOU, EVERYBODY ELSE.

THANK YOU EVERYBODY ELSE.

WE SEE YOU SOON.

AS WE LEFT, I MADE THEM A PROMISE I WOULD COME BACK.

WE ARE HAPPY TOO.

AS WE WENT AROUND THE CORNER, TOTAL SILENCE BETWEEN ME AND JOHN.

JUST LOOKED INTO EACH OTHER'S FACES THINKING, WE MAYBE THE ONLY ONES THAT EVER SEE THEM.

THAT WAS A DISTANT POSSIBILITY.

THE WHOLE JOURNEY BACK WAS WHAT ON EARTH ARE WE GOING TO DO NOW?

WHEN YOU SEE THAT FOOTAGE, WHAT GOES THROUGH YOUR HEAD?

I GET REALLY EMOTIONAL.

THAT CLIP YOU JUST PLAYED WAS WHAT I CALL THE HOLY GRAIL OF THE CLIPS.

BECAUSE JOHN INSISTED.

HE'S LIKE, I REMEMBER FILMING THIS.

I KNOW I FILMED IT AND YET HE HAD NEVER SEEN THE IMAGES.

HE WAS BEGINNING TO QUESTION HIS OWN MEMORY.

AND IT'S JUST REALLY EMOTIONAL FOR ME BECAUSE OF HOW MUCH WORK WENT INTO GETTING THE MATERIAL AND HOW IT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.

THIS IS A STORY ABOUT WHAT CONNECTS US.

AND THIS FOOTAGE ALLOWS PEOPLE TO EXPERIENCE WHAT IT FELT LIKE TO BE IN THE CAVE AT THAT MOMENT.

THAT WAS THE ACTUAL MOMENT THEY FOUND THE CHILDREN.

I ALWAYS GET CHOKED UP ABOUT IT.

WHEN YOU'RE WATCHING THAT AND REALIZE THIS IS DAYS AND DAYS AND DAYS, PARENTS OF THESE CHILDREN HAVE LITERALLY BEEN PRAYING AND THEY HAVE BEEN IN DIFFERENT STAGES OF GRIEF AND ACCEPTANCE AND TENSION.

THE FACT THAT THOSE CHILDREN WERE IN THERE AND ALIVE, THEY HAVE LOST WEIGHT BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T BEEN EATING.

IT'S JUST SO REMARKABLE THAT THEY EXIST.

BUT THAT MOMENT AT THE VERY END OF THAT CLIP WHERE THE DIVER SAYS, WE MIGHT BE THE ONLY ONES TO EVER SEE THEM ALIVE.

THAT IS SO SORT OF REAL AND DARK.

IN THAT MOMENT, THERE'S SO MUCH COMPLEXITY WITH THE EMOTIONS THAT I FEEL AND HOPEFULLY AUDIENCES FEEL BECAUSE THERE'S HOPE, BUT THERE'S ALSO THIS MOMENT THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU REALIZE EVEN IF WE FOUND THE KIDS, THERE'S JUST NO WAY WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET THEM OUT.

AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT, THEY HAVE BEEN SITTING IN THE DARK FOR TEN DAYS WITH NO FOOD.

THERE'S NO COMPLAINING OR CRYING OR WHIMPERING.

HOW THEY ARE STAYING SO COMPOSED IN THAT MOMENT, THERE'S JUST A LOT IN THAT MOMENT.

IT HITS A A LOT OF DIFFERENT NOTES FOR ME EMOTIONALLY.

MOST PEOPLE, I THINK, WHEN THEY START WATCHING THE FILM ARE NOT GOING TO REALIZE IT WAS A VOLUNTEER GROUP THAT DID THIS.

SOMEHOW IT WAS THIS BAND OF PEOPLE THAT KNEW EACH OTHER, CALLED EACH OTHER, SAID, IF I CAN BUILD THE BEST TEAM, HERE'S WHAT IT WOULD REQUIRE.

IT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE TINY DETAILS THAT MAY GET FORGETEN, BUT IT'S THE CENTRAL PART OF THIS STORY.

WE ALL FOLLOWED IT AND THOUGHT WE KNEW WHAT HAPPENED.

AND REALLY, MOST PEOPLE I THINK THAT DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED AND WHO THESE CHARACTERS WERE, AT THE UPPER ECHELON OF THIS ESOTERIC SPORT OF CAVE DIVING, IT'S VERY SIMILAR IN HIGH ALTITUDE CLIMBING.

IT'S A VERY SMALL COMMUNITY.

EVERYBODY KIND OF KNOWS EACH OTHER.

AND REALIZING, OH, THEY ARE ELECTRICIANS, I.T. CONSULTANTS A METEOROLOGIST, EVERY DAY GUYS THAT ARE COMING IN AND THEY ARE NOT EVEN GETTING PAID AND THEY DO THIS REMARKABLE TASK WHEN BASICALLY THEY HAVE EVERYTHING TO LOSE IF THINGS GO WRONG.

AND THEY STILL GO AHEAD AND DO IT BECAUSE OF THEIR MORAL IMPERATIVE.

I WANT TO PLAY A CLIP OF AN INTRODUCTION TO SOME OF THESE DIVERS AS WELL.

LET'S TAKE A LOOK.

CAVING IS CLEARLY ABOUT THE EXPLORATION SIDE OF IT.

SOME DIVES YOU COULD BE HOURS IN, ARTIFICIAL HEAT AND LIGHT AND IT'S LIKE BEING IN SPACE.

PROBABLY THE PURIST ADVENTURE YOU COULD HAVE.

IT TAKES A PECULIAR TYPE OF PERSON TO BE A CAVE DIVER AND EXPLORER.

WHAT MAKES SOMEONE WANT TO BE AN EXPLORER?

I THINK IT'S TWO PARTS EGO, ONE PART CURIOSITY, ONE PART LACK OF CONFIDENCE IN YOURSELF AND THE NEED TO PROVE YOURSELF.

MAYBE I WAS NO GOOD IN CRICKET, BUT AT LEAST I CAN CAVE DIVE QUITE WELL.

I THINK IT'S FAIR TO SAY ALL OF US WERE NOT TEAM PLAYERS.

NONE OF US WERE VERY GOOD WITH BALL SKILLS.

I'M TERRIBLE AT TEAM SPORTS.

I THINK DOESN'T PLAY WELL WITH OTHERS IS THE PHRASE YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.

WHEN THE DIVERS GO IN, THE FIRST PEOPLE THEY FIND WERE NOT THE CHILDREN, BUT WHAT HAPPENED THERE AND WHAT WAS THAT RESCUE LIKE?

WELL, WHEN JOHN AND RICK FIRST WENT INTO CHAMBER THREE, THEY DISCOVERED FOR WATER WORKERS WHO HAD BASICALLY BEEN ASLEEP AND MISSED THE EVACUATION.

SO THEY WERE NOW TRAPPED IN THE CAVE.

BUT THEY WERE ON SLIGHTLY HIGHER GROUND.

AND RICK AND JOHN WEREN'T SURE IF THE CAVE WAS GOING TO FLOOD FURTHER.

SO THEY HAD TO MAKE A SPLIT-SECOND DECISION TO SAY WE HAVE TO DIVE THESE GUYS OUT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

I THINK JOHN AND RICK DESCRIBE IT AS AN UNDERWATER WRESTLING MATCH.

JUST HUMAN INSTINCT TO SURVIVE.

THEY STARTED TO BASICALLY WRESTLE WITH THE DIVERS BECAUSE THEY WERE SUBMERGED.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THAT MOMENT IS THAT THEY WERE ONLY UNDER WATER FOR 30 TO 40 SECONDS TRYING TO GET THROUGH THIS ONE SUBMERGED SECTION.

THEY WERE ADULTS AND THEY COMPLETELY PANICKED.

WHAT JOHN AND RICK IMMEDIATELY REALIZED IS, WE CAN'T EVEN GET AN ADULT TO STAY CALM FOR 30 SECONDS UNDER WATER, MUCH LESS, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY LATER DISCOVERED WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO SWIM THESE KIDS OUT FOR TWO TO THREE HOURS.

THE ENTIRE IDEA THAT ENDS UP BECOMING THE WAY THESE KIDS GET OUT, THE IDEA TO DOSE CHILDREN WITH ANESTHESIA AND SOMEHOW GET THEM IN A SLEEPING POSITION TO DRAG THEM OUT FOR TWO HOURS UNDER WATER, THAT'S JUST -- FROM THE SORT OF INITIAL TEXT OF THE IDEA, YOU'RE THINKING, CLEARLY, THEY MUST HAVE COME UP WITH SOMETHING ELSE.

WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON FROM THIS PART OF THE FILM.

YOU START WATCHING IT AND YOU'RE LIKE, WHAT, THIS IS IT?

THIS IS HOW IT HAPPENED?

AS HIS WIFE SAYS, IT'S LUDICROUS.

IT'S SO OUTRAGEOUS EVEN THE IDEA, BUT IT WAS THE ONLY CHOICE.

WHEN THEY RESCUED THOSE FOUR WATER WORKERS INITIALLY, THAT WAS A REALITY CHECK FOR THEM.

THOSE ARE FOUR ADULTS UNDER WATER FOR 40 SECONDS AND THEY PANICKED.

SO THERE WAS NO OTHER CHOICE.

AND THE COURAGE IT TAKES TO ACTUALLY ACCEPT THAT AND PROCEED, I FIND ASTONISHING.

THERE ARE MOMENTS THEY REALIZE THAT IF ANYTHING GOES WRONG, THEY MIGHT BE BLAMED FOR THIS.

THAT THERE IS KIND OF THE GREAT UPSIDE IF YOU GET THE CHILDREN OUT SAFELY, BUT IF YOU FIND THEM DEAD, IF YOU HAVE TO RECOVER THEIR BODIES, IF YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO RECOVER THEIR BODIES, THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS THAT COULD HAVE TURNED OUT DIFFERENTLY, WHERE THESE DIVERS WOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED THE HEROES THAT WE'RE SEEING THEM AS TODAY.

TO BE CLEAR, THEY REALLY BELIEVED THAT SAVING ONE CHILD WOULD BE A SUCCESS.

AND THAT'S WHAT'S SO ASTONISHING KIND OF ABOUT THIS IDEA OF HOW THEY MADE THE DECISIONS AND HOW SELFLESS IT WAS.

THEY HAD EVERYTHING TO LOSE.

DR. HARRIS WOULD FOREVER BE KNOWN AS THE ANESTHESIOLOGIST WHO KILLED 13 PEOPLE.

HALF OF THEM ARE FATHERS.

THEY KNOW THE PSYCHOLOGICAL PRICE THEY WOULD PAY.

AND IT WAS STILL MORE IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO TRY TO SAVE THESE CHILDREN THAN YOU COULDN'T LIVE WITH THE OTHER POSSIBILITY.

THAT'S WHERE THE MORALITY OF IT IS INTERESTING.

THEY WERE THEIR BEST SELVES.

IT WE ALL COULD BE OUR BEST SELVES AND ACT WITH ACTS OF GENEROSITY, WE WOULD BE IN A VERY DIFFERENT PLACE NOW AS A SOCIETY.

WE SHOULD MENTION THERE WAS A FATALITY IN THIS.

A FORMER MEMBER OF THE THAI NAVY DIED DURING THIS RESCUE OPERATION.

AND YOU WERE ABLE TO SIT DOWN WITH HIS WIDOW IT WAS A REALLY COMPELLING AND MOVING INTERVIEW.

HERE'S A GUY WHO LOOKED IN OTHERWISE AMAZING SHAPE.

NOT JUST FROM HIS YEARS OF TRAINING, BUT EVEN AFTERWARDS.

HE VOLUNTEERED TO DO THIS AND BRING WET SUITS DOWN THERE TO THESE KIDS.

WHAT WAS IT LIKE KIND OF DISCOVERING THINGS ABOUT HIS LIFE AND WHAT HE WAS LIKE?

IT'S HEARTBREAKING THE MORE YOU LEARN ABOUT HIM.

IT'S ALSO HIS KIND OF SELFLESS ACT OF VOLUNTEERING TO COME BACK AND HELP WITH THE THAI NAVY S.E.A.L.s.

HE WAS RETIRED FOR 18 YEARS OR SOMETHING.

HE LAST SERVED IN 2003.

IT'S SO EMBLEMATIC OF THE STORY ITSELF BECAUSE IT'S AN ACT OF GENEROSITY.

NO ONE HAD REALLY CONFIRMED HOW HE DIED.

AS PART OF OUR EFFORTS TO SPEAKING TO EVERYBODY INVOLVED, INCLUDING THE ADMIRAL OF THE THAI NAVY S.E.A.L.s, WE WERE ABLE TO CONFIRM THAT HE WAS TAKING IN THESE WET SUITS.

IT WAS A DIFFICULT TASK.

BECAUSE OF THE BUOYANCY OF THE WET SUITS.

HE WAS ON HIS WAY BACK AND HE RAN OUT OF AIR.

I HAD THE CHANCE TO SIT WITH HIS WIDOW, AND AFTER I MET HER, SHE GAVE US HIS PHONE.

SO ALL THAT FOOTAGE IS FOOTAGE FROM HIS PHONE.

AND THAT WAS ALSO A STRANGE WAY OF LOOKING INTO SOMEBODY'S LIFE AND YOU FEEL LIKE IT'S SO INTIMATE.

BUT WE NEVER HAD THE CHANCE TO MEET HIM.

WATCHING THE FILM, YOU REALIZE ALL THE OTHER THINGS AT STAKE HERE BEYOND JUST THE KIDS LIFE, YOU HAD THIS GEOPOLITICAL LAYER.

YOU HAD THIS SPIRITUAL LAYER.

YOU HAD JUST THE GRIEF OF THE PARENTS.

THERE WAS SO MANY THINGS KIND OF SWIRLING AROUND THAT SITE.

IT'S A VERY COMPLICATED STORY.

WHO IS TO SAY THE PRAYERS DIDN'T SAVE THE CHILDREN?

SO THAT WAS PART OF OUR INTENTION WAS TO TRY TO HONOR THE COMPLEXITY OF THE STORY AND HONOR THE EAST/WEST SITUATION, HONOR THE MISCOMMUNICATIONS.

IT REALLY JUST DEMONSTRATES HOW AGAINST ALL ODDS, THESE PEOPLE CAME TOGETHER TO SAVE THE CHILDREN.

I ACTUALLY WALKED THE CAVE.

I WALKED THE BACK OF THE CAVE.

UNTIL I SAW IT FOR MYSELF, I DIDN'T -- YOU CAN'T UNDERSTAND JUST THE SHEAR SCALE.

WHEN YOU SEE IT, YOU UNDERSTAND WHY YOU NEEDED THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE SUPPORTING THESE TEN DIVERS.

WERE YOU SURPRISED BY HOW CLOSE IT ALL CAME?

THE END, THERE'S THIS MOMENT WHERE AS AN AUDIENCE, THANK GOODNESS, THEY GOT THE KIDS.

AND PEOPLE ARE RUSHING OUT OF THE CAVE BECAUSE IF WE WAITED ANOTHER DAY, MAYBE THIS WHOLE THING WOULD HAVE BEEN A MUCH MORE TRAGIC STORY.

IN MANY WAYS, IT WAS A MIRACLE UPON MIRACLE THAT HAPPENED.

I TRULY BELIEVE, AND I KNOW THAT THE DIVERS BELIEVE THIS TOO, AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT OVER THOSE DAYS DURING THE RESCUE, SOMETHING COULD HAVE GONE HORRIBLY WRONG.

CATASTROPHICALLY WRONG.

ANY MOMENT AROUND ANY TURN.

AND THEY HAD TO BE PERFECT.

JUST ONE BUMP ON THEIR FACE MASKS, THERE'S NO REDUNDANCY IN THE SYSTEM.

IF THAT THING LEAKS AND FILLS WITH WATER, IT'S OVER.

THEY ARE MOVING THEM FOR TWO TO THREE HOURS THROUGH THESE CAVES.

IT'S JUST INCREDIBLE.

THE FILM IS CALLED 'THE RESCUE.'

THANK YOU BOTH FOR JOINING US.

THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.