Thai rescue sparked unity among nations

Moment was brief, but illustrated power of working together

Every so often, we need a story to root for, such as the underdog-turned-success tale, or the saga of a just-barely averted tragedy.

The 12 boys trapped in a cave in Thailand captivated our attention, despite the miles between our country and theirs.

The boys and their 25-year-old soccer coach entered the cave to go exploring after practice on June 23, but became trapped due to monsoon rains that filled the passageways, The Associated Press reports.

They were missing for nearly 10 days before being found by British divers. And then, it wasn’t as simple as walking back out of the cave. The rescue mission was fraught with danger, and one diver lost his life in the process.

“Falling oxygen levels, risk of sickness and the imminent prospect of more rain flooding the cave complex for months” complicated the situation, the AP reports.

Divers practiced with local children in a pool before attempting the rescue, which took hours per child, and planners were meticulous in organizing the rescue effort, working tirelessly to save these 13 lives.

The boys — some of whom could not swim — endured challenging conditions, surviving off water dripping in the cave. They were weak, tired and at incredible risk.

Rescuers took advantage of a break in the weather to begin to whisk the boys to safety, and over the course of three days, all made it to safety.

Governments rallied around these children, sending in whatever they could to help. And people around the world were riveted by the story.

It shouldn’t take a scary crisis to bring countries together, but it does prove that, should people choose to, they can work together to bring about good.

As one Thai official noted, the mission “became a symbol of unity among mankind,” according to the AP.

Frankly, that unity is something of which we can use a little more — and not sparked because of tragedy or unusual peril.