Boys (formerly) in Cave

[661-Pete]

Someone has to bring up this topic, sometime. May as well be a grumpy-old-git like Yours-Truly.

The interminable Cave escapade has a Happy Ending. Well - not quite a Happy Ending, at least one rescue worker lost his life in the process.

I have to ask, what the hell were these wretched kids and their teacher doing in a known-to-be dangerous cavern, in the first place!? At the start of the monsoon season to boot! I read somewhere that the objective of their little adventure was to write their names on the cave wall somewhere at the far end of the system.

I have to ask myself, suppose some idiot visiting Ingleborough, or Stump Cross, say, were to vault over the barrier and scrawl their initials on a virgin piece of rock-face. What would be the consequence? Certainly that individual would face a tough time trying to gain admittance to any show-cave in the British Isles, in future. Indeed, their next speleological exercise might well be that of trying to tunnel out of Wandsworth Jail...

This story developed into a media beanfeast. Fine. Perhaps just as well, at least so far as the British media are concerned. Helped to 'bury bad news' especially regarding that other burning issue that's been infesting the media these past two years.

Or were they expecting, England would surely have been eliminated from the WC by now, and the readership would have needed a bit of cheer and comfort?

[thirdcrank]

Claustrophobia would stop me doing anything like this but peer pressure is a powerful motivator. Well done to all concerned and I hope those who were trapped don't suffer long-term psychological problems. I hope that the bereaved family of Samarn Kunan can take some comfort that he died saving the lives of others.

The pundit industry has been at full stretch.

[mercalia]

I understand the tesla guy was there, why?

[Graham]

Societal myopia . . . . .

How many people die on UK roads every day ? 8 or 9. Not news : not a story = society accepts this ongoing cull.

Compared with . . . . . .

A group of naive twits get themselves into a potentially deadly situation. International rescue ( Thunderbirds are go !! ) expend huge resources and take life-threatening risks to get them out.

Consipiracy theory : I think the youngsters were paid to dry-run a movie script. It was staged !

[thirdcrank]

The first slightly comparable episode I remember was the Flying Enterprise over Christmas and New Year 1951/2.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Flying_Enterprise
The safe return of the crew of Apollo 13 was another.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_13

[Cyril Haearn]

Apparently they ignored a sign prohibiting access to the cave

[661-Pete]

To be honest, the Apollo 13 episode certainly gripped the world's media at the time. But there was this big difference: the crew of three on that misbegotten spacecraft had to fight their way back to terra firma all on their own, without an army of seals to swarm all over the spaceship to help them on their way! OK, they got lots of advice over the airwaves, as well as such remote assistance as was possible from back at Mission Control, but essentially it was a self-extrication exercise. And well done them!

And moreover the Apollo 13 mission wasn't expected to fail. All space travel is high-risk, but there's no way of reducing the risk.

These boys could have lessened the risk if they'd chosen to visit the cave at a safer time of year, and if they'd learned to swim and dive, beforehand.

This whole enterprise smacks a bit too "Enid Blyton" - or possibly "Boys Own Paper"* - for my liking.

*Anyone else remember those?

[thirdcrank]

... This whole enterprise smacks a bit too "Enid Blyton" - or possibly "Boys Own Paper"* - for my liking. ...?

I'm not sure what you mean by that but if you are suggesting that this wasn't grim for the people trapped then I think it's a view based on a misunderstanding of what it must be like to be trapped in a deep dark hole with little but hope to keep everybody going. It may have started out as a bit of fun but that must have soon died out. I could well imagine that those involved had strong religious faith and they will have needed it.

On the subject of people not understanding what it must be like, I'm reminded of the early reports of the Herald of Free Enterprise disaster when ignorant commentators seemed to suggest that although the vessel was lying on its side, it hadn't sunk so everybody would be more or less ok.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_Herald ... Enterprise

[Si]

'sfunny, just received two of those posts that do the rounds now and then..."if you grew up in the 50s/60s/70s..." that goes on to list all the stuff that we used to do before the perceived advent of H & S stopping children even setting foot outside let along going down caves. There's never a happy medium is there.

Now, join me in a chorus of "We're sending our love down the well"

[Cyril Haearn]

Why do Thai people have such long names?

[661-Pete]

... This whole enterprise smacks a bit too "Enid Blyton" - or possibly "Boys Own Paper"* - for my liking. ...?

I'm not sure what you mean by that but if you are suggesting that this wasn't grim for the people trapped then I think it's a view based on a misunderstanding of what it must be like to be trapped in a deep dark hole with little but hope to keep everybody going.

I don't mean the occurrence of their being trapped, and the aftermath. I mean the 'gung-ho' mindset that prompted these boys - and their teacher - to go down the hole in the first place. I never read any of the 'Famous Five' genre, but as I understand it, this celebrated gang of kids (+dog) used to also get into dangerous exploits - but of course they always got themselves out OK!

Not like Real Life....

[profpointy]

... This whole enterprise smacks a bit too "Enid Blyton" - or possibly "Boys Own Paper"* - for my liking. ...?

I'm not sure what you mean by that but if you are suggesting that this wasn't grim for the people trapped then I think it's a view based on a misunderstanding of what it must be like to be trapped in a deep dark hole with little but hope to keep everybody going.

I don't mean the occurrence of their being trapped, and the aftermath. I mean the 'gung-ho' mindset that prompted these boys - and their teacher - to go down the hole in the first place. I never read any of the 'Famous Five' genre, but as I understand it, this celebrated gang of kids (+dog) used to also get into dangerous exploits - but of course they always got themselves out OK!

Not like Real Life....

200 people are killed cycling each year. Bloody idiots doing something so dangerourous

[Vorpal]

Why do Thai people have such long names?

...asks the person with a Welsh user name

[Tangled Metal]

Why do Thai people have such long names?

...asks the person with a Welsh user name

To be fair he probably shortened it for us.

[Cyril Haearn]

Why do Thai people have such long names?

...asks the person with a Welsh user name

To be fair he probably shortened it for us.

Bryn Poeth *Uchaf*
A YH near Cynghordy, no road access, stayed there once
Means: Hill Warm Upper