Nearly three months ago the entire world was captivated by the stories and coverage coming from the Chiang Rai Province of Thailand where an intense rescue mission was underway.
Held captive in the Tham Luang cave, a football coach and several teenage players for the team left their fate in the hands of their rescuers after a monsoon left them helpless and unable to escape. What began as an innocent trek into a cave following a practice session, quickly turned into the children’s worst nightmares.
Rising waters in the area also hampered any hopes of rescuing the group in a timely and safe manner. By the time the entire ordeal was over, and the group reached safety, eighteen days would have passed by with one fatality.
Among the group responsible for aiding the football team were several British divers including British Cave Rescue Divers (BCRD) Richard Stanton and John Volanthen who initially found the group alive. The rescue efforts were helped by thousands of people from around the globe who worked tirelessly for over two weeks to save the helpless group.
The Prince meets Christopher Jewell, Lance Corporal Connor Roe, Jim Warny and Martin Holroyd. @KensingtonRoyal/Twitter
This week, the Duke of Cambridge took time to honour a few of the men responsible for helping the mass rescue. The reception held at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday welcomed many of those on staff who conducted active rescue and support roles. The Duke of Cambridge met Christopher Jewell, Lance Corporal Connor Roe, Jim Warny and Martin Holroyd who are credited with some of the vital roles that brought the group to safety.
The Duke of Cambridge currently serves as patron of Mountain Rescue England and Wales who made the reception possible along with the British Cave Rescue Counsil.
Meanwhile, across the globe, the Duke of Sussex also took part in honouring the heroes of the Tham Luang cave rescue on day one of his and the Duchess of Sussex’s tour of Australia. The Duke met and thanked Dr Richard Harris whose skills as a diver greatly helped to lead the overall effort.
