Rescue of the Thai cave

A team of more than 150 worked together to release the group from Tham Luang Cave, a last night, new details of the rescue were revealed on Four Corners including how it was decided which of the 12 "

" It's one of the most difficult and dangerous and risky things I've ever done, not in terms of personal safety, but in terms of people whom I was responsible for "Jason Mallinson told ABC TV Four Corners .

"I've never done anything so risky and I do not think I'll ever do it again. But that was the only option we had, and we took it. "

Mr. Mallinson was a" diving collector "responsible for getting children through the most dangerous pbadages, in water so turbid that sometimes there was

" The probability of success was almost close to as low as possible, "said Major Charles Hodges, commander of the American mission

" I really expected that we would accept losses, maybe three, four, maybe five would die. "

During the perilous three-hour journey, each of the children was asleep to prevent them from panicking. The rescue was so dangerous that the Australian government negotiated the immunity of the Thai authorities against the Australians involved in sedating the children in case something went wrong.

Expert divers Dr. Craig Challen and Richard "Harry" Harris were hailed as Australian heroes for their key roles in rescuing the Thai football team.

Dr. Harris in particular was described as a "cornerstone" of the operation, helping to evaluate children at different stages of the trip

in nine sections and expert British divers were tasked with bring them through the most complicated places, using guidelines to help them navigate the pbadages.

"We would dive with the kid, and depending on how the line was laid, we would have them either on the right side or on the left side, either with their backs or with their bads," he said. said Mr. Mallinson

"exhausting", especially on the last day when there was no visibility.

"I had to have the boy very close to me because if you did not have it, you would hit your head against the rocks," he said. "I was confident of taking out the child, I was not 100% sure to take him out alive." British diver Jason Mallinson risked his life in #ThaiCaveRescue to save the boys … his story tonight on @ 4corners pic.twitter.com/FBdGqvP8RZ

– Mark Willacy (@markwillacy) July 16, 2018

"If we hit him against a rock too strong and that he dislodged that mask and flooded his mask, he was a goner. That's why we had to be very slow and careful not to hit them against the rocks. "

Instead, Mr. Mallinson said that he had laid his head above the boy for that his head hits the rocks. He said:

Older divers had repeated the rescue in a local pool, practicing maneuvers with volunteer children and badessing whether the risky operation was feasible.

"I was confident to get me out, I was confident not to lose control of the line, I was confident to take out the boy (but) I was not sure was not 100% sure to get him out alive, "Mr. Mallinson said.

At some points the children had their diving gear removed and were taken to stretchers in some areas. In other areas, they were transported in harnesses in very steep caves, because the crossing of these muddy areas would have been dangerous.

Two divers were badigned to each child, so that at least one of them always held the child. The diver, Dr. Harris, evaluated the children at different stages of the operation to make sure that they could continue.

"Without him, we could not have done what we did," Mallinson said. "His bedside attitude when he was there with the kids and that, talking to them, soothing them and things like that."

"So yeah, he was the pivot of the operation."

Although it was reported that Dr. Harris also decided which children went out first, his fellow Aussie Dr. Callen said that it was not true. He said it was the decision of the boys, the coach and the Thai Navy SEALs who were with them. The group was informed of the operation and they decided who was the first to go out

"Harry did not choose them as was suggested, so I think it was their guys the more brave ones who came out first. "

Dr. Challen, a retired veterinarian from Perth, also revealed that he was almost missing the crucial phone call from the Thai government for their help. was packed ready to go on a trip to the Nullarbor, "he said." Harry and I were on our way the next day. And so, I had 45 minutes to get to the airport.

"At that time, I had to unpack everything I had, reconfigure and get the equipment I needed for this trip and leave."

He also revealed that the decision to save the Wild Boars team by diving them was a last resort.

Major Hodges said it would have taken four to five months to wait for the water to retreat.

We looked at numbers of about 1800 meals that we needed to get in there, "he said.

" So, there was no l '# 39, physical space in the cave to put 1,800 meals and it would be 18 separate dive missions

"We knew it was not an option because the rains would arrive too early for us to run all that. "

Various other methods of extraction were proposed, including drilling or placing the boys in nylon pods with air tanks, but the diving method was finally decided as the best option. 659003] "I mean we are so incredibly excited that not only is this good news, but in the end we have recovered the kids with their parents, and that's what counts in my mind, "said Major Hodges.