TRAVEL | special report
Bruce Konefe, Ruengrit Changkwanyuen
Tham Luang Nang Non Cave Rescue: Commemoration
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t has been over a year since a Thai youth football team explored Tham Luang Nang Non cave in Chiang Rai and got trapped inside for 18 days due to the heavy rainfall and flood. The clock was ticking as lives of 13 lives from Wild Boars Academy were hanging by a thread. This marked the beginning of the phenomenal help and support from multiple national and international authorities, professional divers, locals, etc. In an interview with three professional diving instructors who took part in the ongoing rescue mission, some insights are recounted. Your background. Mr Ruengrit Changkwanyuen: I am a Scuba Dive Instructor and 44 | SEP/OCT 2019
Technical Diver. I trained rescue volunteer divers and was also involved during the tsunami disaster to help clean the site and body recovery. My expertise is special diving equipment and technical diving. Mr Bruce Konefe: I am originally from the United States, I have lived in Thailand for over 25 years. I started cave diving since the year 2000. I am an Instructor Trainer Director for American Nitrox Divers (ANDI). I teach all levels of cave diving in both diver and Instructor levels. I have written Two ANDI Cave manuals/training materials plus all of the Cave Instructor Procedures. Mr Mikko Paasi: I am a 44-yearold father of one daughter from
Finland. I have run a diving school in Koh Tao, Koh Tao Divers (www. kohtaodivers.com) for 20 years as a professional Thailand diver instructor specialising in deep sea wreck and cave exploration. My passion is exploring new sites and documenting them with my camera. I took my first diving lesson back in 1994, Turkey. Joining the rescue. Mr Ruengrit: On Sunday 24 June, I first heard the news on the radio while driving but I did not pay much attention. On the morning of Monday 25 June, I was home and saw the news about 12 kids and their coach got stuck in flooded cave in Chiang Rai. I saw two Thai Navy SEAL divers with their single tank in their back with regular scuba diving configuration try to bangkok101.com
