Before sending in a team of elite divers to rescue a boys' soccer team after they became trapped in a Thai cave system last year, the British and Australian governments worked to ensure that international divers would be protected from reprisals if anything went wrong on the risky mission.
The British team leading the rescue mission had decided that the boys would have to be sedated for the long journey through the narrow cave system, and therefore sought out the only three elite divers they knew who were also anesthesiologists, the BBC reported Monday.
One of those divers, Australian Richard Harris, told the BBC's "Beyond Today" podcast he was on the fence about joining the mission, but eventually signed on when he was told that the boys would die if he didn't step up.
But before he officially joined the team, he had the Australian government negotiate with the Thai government to ensure he would have immunity if anything went wrong.
The two other divers were British and American. British embassy officials ensured they would be protected, as well, according to the BBC.
Luckily, the mission was a success. After being given a mixture of ketamine, Xanax, and atropine, all 12 boys and their coach were ferried out of the cave system alive.
But the rescue wasn't without tragedy. After discovering the team deep within the cave, divers started swimming back and forth between them and the cave entrance, setting up the rescue mission and bringing much-needed supplies to those trapped.
It was while returning from a staging base in the cave that former Navy SEAL Saman Kunan lost consciousness and died.
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