Efforts to locate the group were hampered by rising water levels and strong currents, and no contact was made for more than a week. The rescue effort expanded into a massive operation amid intense worldwide public interest. On 2 July, after advancing through narrow passages and muddy waters, British divers John Volanthen and Richard Stanton found the group alive on an elevated rock about 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) from the cave mouth. Rescue organisers discussed various options for extracting the group, including whether to teach them basic diving skills to enable their early rescue, wait until a new entrance was found or drilled, or wait for the floodwaters to subside at the end of the monsoon season months later. After days of pumping water from the cave system and a respite from rain, the rescue teams hastened to get everyone out before the next monsoon rain, which was expected to bring a potential 52 mm (2.0 in) of additional rainfall and was predicted to start around 11 July.
Saman Kunan, a 38-year-old former Thai Navy SEAL, died of asphyxiation on 6 July on his return to the cave entrance after delivering supplies of air to the interior. Between 8 and 10 July, all of the boys and their coach were rescued from the cave by an international team of rescuers.
The rescue efforts included a total of over 10,000 people - including more than 100 divers, many rescue workers, representatives from about 100 government agencies, 900 police officers, 2,000 soldiers - 10 police helicopters, seven police ambulances, more than 700 air canisters, and the removal of more than 1 billion liters of water (the equivalent of 400 Olympic-size swimming pools).
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[Flight# AP121 (VTCT-VTCT)] Thai Cave Rescue
(VTCT-Cave-VTCT) - Aircraft: Amphibious aircraft
- Weather: Your choice - but I would suggest clear.
- Time: Dusk at takeoff so it will be night upon arrival at the 'cave' (see scenario for further details)
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Scenario:
You now get to rescue that soccer team and their coach - and you don't even have to get your feet wet! Although the actual rescuers were a group of heroic seal-team divers and other experienced cave divers, we've opened the cave up a bit to accommodate your amphibious aircraft.
Your rescue plane is based at Chiang Rai Intl Airport (VTCT). Fly to the cave and land on the grassy area in front of the cave. Set your time of day to your choice, but I would suggest that you set early dusk with FSX sims so that the cave search is not too dark and so you can find the site to land.
Getting to the cave:
Take off from VTCT and fly due north (360 degrees - perhaps a bit west (355 degrees). Follow the blue line on the gps where it intersects with the other blue line, and watch where they intersect near the higher mountain peaks (about 20-30 miles I think). Watch for the mountains that are lime-green in color (sorry - I couldn't blend terrain tectures here, but it will help you find the right mountain). If you flew north from VTCT you should be on the correct end of the mountain where the cave opening is. Watch for the boulders on the front of the green mountain. They mark the cave opening. The best way to land is to approach directly toward the cave opening (or the opposite direction over the top of the mountain). This should allow a bush plane like the DHC-2 or Kodiak to land before hitting the woods to the east or the cave entrence to the west depending on which way you land.
Once landed, taxi between the ambulance and police vehicles into the water and raise your gear. Taxi along the flooded cave, past the divers on the shore preparing for their dive and to the end of the cave where the stranded team awaits rescue. There are some narrow passages and low overhangs, but the Kodiak and Beaver can get through.
This scenario works best with P3d because P3d's dynamic lighting shows the scenery where FSX does not. FSX users will enjoy the scene better if there is some ambient light (dusk or dawn) for the flight, but you can probably fly it at any time as long as you can pick out the landing site and find your way around in the cave.
Note: SPAACARS will probably not allow you to change the time of day once the flight has started, so make sure it's set the way you want before starting SPAACARs.
Once you've rescued the stranded team and their coach exit the cave and fly them back to VTCT for medical treatment.
