Diving into uplifting depths of volunteers

The two British divers who found 12 missing boys and their football coach alive in a flooded cave in Thailand boast extensive experience. Rick Stanton and John Volanthen are so well known among cave rescuers that they had reportedly been requested specially. Yet their work is entirely voluntary. And far from glorying in their role, Volanthen had brushed off reporters as he entered the cave, saying only: “We’ve got a job to do.”

On first sight, their quiet courage and extraordinary expertise are truly exceptional. Yet what is perhaps more remarkable is that thousands of people in the UK, and many millions more around the world, volunteer on search and rescue teams, and do so largely unsung. There is often a strong element of self-preservation; volunteers are usually rescuing fellow adventurers who have got into difficulties. There are other, not purely altruistic, spurs: the satisfaction of overcoming tough challenges; the camaraderie of working as a team; the thrill of saving a life – and, for some, the ego-boost of saying they have done so.

But rescuers sacrifice their free time, work in gruelling conditions and face the trauma of failed attempts. Perhaps more of us could launch ourselves into churning seas, ascend steep crags in bitter winds or battle the currents through tiny, cramped cave passages, as Stanton and Volanthen have done. But very few will do so.