‘Car full of beer’ awaits British divers in Thai cave rescue

THE family of a British diver involved in the rescue of a Thai football team from a cave were last night waiting to celebrate his success with a “car full of beer”.

Seven British men have been among those leading the effort to rescue 12 boys and their coach, which was completed yesterday, 17 days after they became trapped underground.

Two of them, John Volanthen and Rick Stanton, were the first ones to find the boys three miles inside the Tham Luang cave complex. Tim Acton, 39, was called in to help the diving supply team after Sgt Major Saman Gunan, 38, a retired Thai navy Seal, lost his life during the rescue effort.

Mr Acton’s wife Took, 40, and daughter Millie, nine, have been at a barracks about nine miles from the scene and were last night waiting with other families for the men to return.

Mr Acton’s father John, who lives in Essex, said: “There has been a blackout, so I haven’t been able to speak to him but I have spoken to his wife. We know that he was in the caves yesterday and today, but we do not know anything else.

“Took said that they are just waiting for them all to come back with a car full of beer. She hasn’t seen much of him and I think she said that he has been doing four dives a day. We are so proud of him, they should all be given a medal for what they have done.”

Meanwhile Anne Mallison, mother of diver Jason Mallison, told The Daily Telegraph she suffered sleepless nights awaiting news updates.

“We are so proud of Jason,” she said last night at her home in Huddersfield, West Yorks. “I am so glad it is now over. I have had sleepless nights, waking up early in the morning just to keep checking what is happening.

“It has been so emotional. I sit here with worry but I know he is doing what he must do and he loves it.”

It is understood the team is now resting. Bill Whitehouse, the vice-chairman of the British Cave Rescue Council, said: “We have heard from them that they are all right, but information is pretty sparse.

“When we heard that all the boys and the last diver were out, that was a brilliant moment.”