Q&A with John Volanthen

Q&A: JOHN VOLANTHEN

We talk to cave diving icon John Volanthen, and find out what initially drew him into cave diving, the challenges of some of his record-breaking cave dives, and what it was like to be involved in the world’s greatest dive rescue

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF JASON BROWN / BARDO CREATIVE

Q: As we normally do with these Q&As, how did you first get into diving, or in your case, cave diving? A: I started caving as a boy in the scouts at the age of 14. On one particular trip in the Mendip Hills, we reached sump two in a cave called Swildons Hole. The trip leader made a point of describing how difficult it would be to pass this 20-footlong flooded section of cave. He described it as ‘virtually impossible’. I decided there and then that I would return to continue through that sump. It took just over ten years, but that moment sparked my interest in cave diving. I simply couldn’t see a reason ‘why not’.

Q: Cave diving is considered one of the most-dangerous forms of diving. What is it about cave diving that continually draws you back? A: The reputation cave diving has is perhaps derived from the large number of accidents that occurred to untrained open water divers in Florida in years gone by. Thankfully training and equipment have been vastly improved Although diving in any overhead environment still commands significant respect. I don’t see cave diving as an adrenaline sport, in fact, if you are feeling adrenaline at any moment during a dive, you are doing something very wrong. Accepting the unforgiving nature of the environment, then working to minimize the danger is something I enjoy.

I’m a caver first, I’m interested in the cave passage and the challenge of exploration. Every cave is different, it presents different challenges and requires a different approach. I enjoy working out the logistics required, building whatever equipment is needed and then actually executing the plan. I also enjoy the combination of the physical challenge of getting to the water, and the mental challenge of trying to understand the cave and progress.

Inside the Thai cave In the midst of the Thai cave rescue

Q: You, along with a select few others, are the go-to people when it comes to cave rescues. What is it like when you first get that call? A: I try to first understand exactly what the problem is and what is being asked of me. Then I try to take measured actions that are appropriate to the situation, without closing off options. Emotionally, I may want to jump in the car, and just ‘do’ something, but it may be much more appropriate to solve a problem in another way. Feeling responsible, and trying to make good balanced decisions, knowing that the clock is ticking is never easy. Operating as a team gives the opportunity to bounce ideas around and sanity check the actions we’re taking.

Q: Talking of cave rescues, we inevitably come on to the Thai cave incident. What was it like being thrust into the limelight of the international media while trying to deal with first, finding the group, and then two, working out how to safely extricate them? A: In Thailand, we ignored the media, with good reason. Our job was to focus on the diving, and subsequently the rescue. I don’t think I quite realised how much the story gripped the world until my return to the UK.

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Outside the Thai cave

John on stage with his fellow rescuers at Eurotek

I tried to take the problem one step at a time, the real issues we had initially were the poor weather, high water levels in the cave, and a difficulty in establishing ourselves on site, and obtaining the support and materials we needed. Unusually, the rescue became very much more an effort in team building and persuasion than expected.

Q: Your new book, Thirteen Lessons That Saved Thirteen Lives, focuses on the Thai cave rescue. What was it like trying to capture everything that went on at the time in print form? A: The book provides the inside track on the rescue, and also gives an insight into much of my cave diving career. I wanted to write a book that gives the reader a chance to experience exactly what some of those moments felt like. Books about cave diving can often feel a bit empty. Explorers often play down events and how they felt. I’ve tried to offer an honest, warts and all description, but explain how I overcame the challenges I faced.

I’m a caver first, I’m interested in the cave passage and the challenge of exploration. Every cave is different, it presents different challenges and requires a different approach

Q: As the title suggests, your book – as well as being an enthralling read about the Thai incident itself – is very much an educational experience, tying in life lessons gleaned from previous cave dives, rescues and exploratory dives that aided you on this particular mission, but which can also be applied to everyday life. How did you come up with this approach for writing the book? A: Having delivered a number of workshops on leadership and problem solving under pressure, people often spoke to me afterwards, suggesting next time they were in a tight spot, they would ask themselves ‘What would John do? ‘. As well as providing the inside story of the Thai cave rescue, offering those lessons to the reader as part of a story that demonstrates their use seemed a natural thing to do.

The Thai rescue was global news

THIRTEEN LESSONS THAT SAVED THIRTEEN LIVES

BY JOHN VOLANTHEN

Books about the Thai cave rescue are like buses – you wait an age for a cracking one to come along, then two arrive on the scene at the same time! Hot on the heels of Rick Stanton’s Aquanaut – reviewed in last month’s issue – comes Thirteen Lessons That Saved Thirteen Lives by John Volanthen (with the assistance of Matt Allen). Like Stanton’s, this book makes for enthralling reading, and I defy you to be able to put it down once you have started it until you reach the final pages. John took a slightly different tack to Rick, and this book focuses on the Thai cave rescue, from the moments the cave-diving gurus received the call for assistance, through the trials and tribulations of dealing with red tape, bureaucracy and in some cases resistance to their presence in Thailand, to the moment they found the children – and then the challenges of working out exactly how they were going to get them out of their predicament. However, interspersed between the different elements of the Thai drama, John also uses each chapter to impart an important life lesson that he had learned from his previous underground rescues and some of this record-breaking cave exploits. While we are not going to be saving Thai children from a flooded cave system, John explains how his methodical approach can be applied and used to tackle everyday issues, whoever you are. Like Rick, John doesn’t shy away from saying what he thinks, and it is clear there were certain members of the cave diving fraternity who came to assist with the operation who were not held in the highest regard by the British cavers. Like Aquanaut: A Life Beneath the Surface, Thirteen Lessons That Saved Thirteen Lives has only reinforced my belief that cave diving is most definitely NOT for me, but it is essential reading and should be on every diver’s bookshelf. Thirteen Lessons That Saved Thirteen Lives is available now in hardback, priced £20.

Inside the Thai cave during the rescue

The rescue was a group effort

The book provides the inside track on the rescue, and also gives an insight into much of my cave diving career

Q: Hollywood, as expected, is making a movie about the rescue of the Wild Boars – what do you think about having movie star Colin Farrell playing yourself? Have you been roped in to assist with the production in any way? A: I’d not heard of Colin until I heard he was due to play me. I’ve since got to know him through zoom and WhatsApp. He has been amazingly diligent in his efforts to ‘get into character’, going as far as taking up running during the filming, and ultimately completing the Brisbane Marathon. It’s quite odd teaching someone to ‘be’ you.

Q: What is your most-memorable diving experience? A: I will always be a caver at heart, consequently my best diving memories are multi-sump caves where it’s necessary to alternate between being a diver and caver. Exploring the end of the Font Del Truffe in the Lot, France must rate highly. While most only venture a few sumps in, after over two kilometers of diving and some interesting caving along the way, you are really out on a limb. Q: On the flipside, what is your worst diving memory? A: I’m not sure I have a worst diving memory, but if I had to choose, it would certainly be in that vast, dangerous, salty, wobbly thing called the sea, where there is no nice roof above your head to catch you in the event of a rapid ascent.

Q: As well as further promotion for your book, what does the future hold for John Volanthen? A: Lots of diving and running, plus work to pay the bills. Cave exploration abroad has been curtailed somewhat due to the pandemic, but I have the odd project on the go in the UK, and the bigger dives abroad aren’t going away anytime soon. n