It took the world to save the trapped Thai boys
They were lost and then found. They were trapped and then set free. They faced an excruciating death but were lovingly guided back to life by strangers who risked everything.
And on Tuesday, when the last of the Thai boys and their coach were rescued from the flooded caves in which they had been trapped for more than two weeks, the world rejoiced.
No wonder. Mission impossible had become mission accomplished. Millions of prayers in dozens of languages had been answered.
All you had to hear were the three little words from the Thai navy Seal unit directing the operation - “They are safe,” to breathe a little more easily again.
You knew then that a scarcely imaginable 17-day ordeal was over, that an international emergency response had succeeded and that the horrific narrative of these 12 young boys and the 25-year-old adult accompanying them had ended better than most people had expected.
Led by its coach, a kids’ soccer team had entered a cave system in northern Thailand on June 23 before disappearing as surging monsoon waters swept into the caverns.
Only last week did a team of British divers locate them, hungry and frightened, perched on a rocky shelf above rising flood waters in a dark chamber more than three kilometres from the cave’s entrance.
Then came the monumental challenge of bringing everyone out, through deep water in places, through narrow passage ways - where oxygen tanks had to be removed - in others.
There was always a risk torrential monsoon rains would engulf them, or prevent the rescue for months. Machines pumped water out. Divers took oxygen tanks in.
The rescue effort brought nations together. Of the 90 expert divers involved, 50 were from Thailand, the rest from a host of countries including Britain and the United States.
A Chilean miner who had been trapped underground in his country for 69 days earlier this decade offered help. Elon Musk arrived with a tiny submarine - which was unsuitable for the job.
In the end, though, it was up to the divers. Each boy, and finally the coach, was taken out by two divers guided by a fixed line. It took each pair of divers six hours to reach the trapped and weary soccer team, then another five hours to return to safety.
While the whole team escaped, the conclusion was not entirely happy. Former Thai navy seal Saman Kunan died last Friday when his oxygen ran out as he placed air tanks in the caves. His selfsacrifice should not be forgotten.
Yet the world was right to give thanks on Tuesday. It may seem strange that with all the reports of human hardships and trials filling each daily news report, the story of these boys resonated so profoundly.
But it did because we could feel for them, so young, vulnerable and terrified, while empathizing with their distraught families. It did because in this life-and-death struggle, human courage, compassion, co-operation and know-how tipped the scales in favour of life.
And perhaps it did because while the sheer magnitude of some human suffering can render it incomprehensible, we could on this occasion at least fully understand what was happening to a small group of unfortunate individuals.
We can sleep a little more easily tonight knowing what was just accomplished in Thailand.
Before we shut our eyes, we might imagine how great this world would be if the caring love that saved those boys and their coach could be extended to more of the millions of other humans who need it.
“Mission impossible had become mission accomplished.”