Thai Cave Rescue (2022) s01e03 Episode Script

1
[Finnish reporter] Breaking news
for football fans
[Adul] Hello?
[English reporter] GoPro video
of the Wild Boars
has already been viewed
by millions around the world
[Chinese reporter] The Wild Boars
have been found alive!
[Polish reporter] Officials remain silent
about the specifics of the rescue effort,
but there appears to be
a massive overland search mounting.
[German reporter] The Thai Navy
has sent a SEAL team
to the boys to provide food,
blankets, and lights.
[Brazilian reporter] Seemingly overnight,
reporters from all over the globe
have gathered in Northern Thailand
after video of the boys went viral.
[Argentinian reporter]
Volunteers are arriving hourly
from around the globe.
Czech firefighters, Singaporean engineers,
divers from England, and many more
from every province here in Thailand.
[US reporter] The US military
is sending Special Forces
to offer support to rescue crews
on the ground
as Americans join the world
in watching this saga unfold.
[Thai reporter] With the boys
and coach found and fed,
the question now is,
"How to get them out?"
The rescue camp
at Tham Luang has quickly become
a melting pot of language and culture,
with the same burning question
on everyone's mind.
Is it possible
to get these boys out alive?
And who can do it?
[dramatic orchestral music playing]
[Narongsak] What we know for sure
is the boys can no longer come out
the way they went in.
We're also doing our best
to look for other entrances.
The Americans have sent their forces
to help with the search as well.
We know where they are,
and we'll get them out.
But that is going to take us
quite a while.
It will be very difficult.
Because, for the moment,
the cave is quite treacherous.
[Titan's mom] Titan must be so terrified.
They look like
they've lost a whole lot of weight.
[voice quavering]
We had trouble recognizing our own son.
She's right.
- Governor.
- [Narongsak] Yes, Noi?
Do the boys know
that all their parents are here?
Yes, they do. We've told them
that we've been searching down there
ever since they went in.
We won't let anything happen
to Dom or any of them.
- Accept our thanks, sir.
- [all] Thank you.
- [Narongsak] You're welcome.
- We're grateful for what you're doing.
[Narongsak] The overland search
to find a way into the cave
is going to take a while longer.
My suggestion to you
is go back home and rest.
There's nothing you can do here right now.
Your boys would understand.
I just received word that the Americans
will soon be showing up.
That's great.
Right now, we are assembling troops
to find a new entrance into the mountain.
Excellent.
[Pim] How about letting me help?
I know this mountain
like the back of my hand.
With all due respect,
this is a military operation now.
What did you come to tell me?
We still have a toilet paper issue, sir.
[Narongsak] What do you mean, Pim?
The Royal Thai Air Force
has been sending supplies to us
around the clock.
What's this thing about "toilet paper"?
Well, the Air Force has provided us
with tents, tables, and chairs,
but it seems like
the Westerners always have to use
massive amounts of toilet paper.
Sir, organizing toilet paper
or coordinating weather reports
with the TMD, well, anyone can do that.
I want to be more involved in the mission.
I've been a forest ranger for years.
What can we use a forest ranger for?
[engine stopping]
3RD INFANTRY BATTALION
17TH INFANTRY REGIMEN
[reporters clamoring]
[Narongsak] On behalf
of the Wild Boars and their families,
I can't thank you enough
for coming all this way.
Governor, we're here to help.
Anything you need.
I have to check in with our embassy,
but my XO Lieutenant Cole here
can brief you on our capabilities
[soldier] Governor! Governor.
Sir, we have a problem.
Excuse me. Please get your men set up.
I'll be right back. Okay.
Advise and assist.
[woman] No! No! You can't drill here.
- I have been assigned to dig here.
- [woman] No!
I'm not allowing it!
[soldier] You don't have a pass.
You can't be here!
No pass!
[shouting] We have to delay this!
Greetings, Governor.
So sorry.
My My Thai isn't
Who are you?
- I'm Kelly Suwannarat.
- [Narongsak] You're American.
She's not with us, sir.
[Narongsak] Who are you?
I'm a hydraulic engineer.
I'm doing my PhD work with the Minister
of Agriculture and Natural Resources,
helping farmers through the drought.
He thought I'd be able to help.
I've already checked
the levels in the cave.
- And it covers
- Wait. Wait. Wait.
- How did you get into the cave?
- I walked in.
You can be sure
this won't happen again, Governor.
[Kelly] Governor!
The water is rising.
[indignantly] We know the water is rising.
You don't understand.
Unless the sun pops out and stays out
until this entire mountain
dries up for weeks,
the cave will be impenetrable
in the next four hours.
The boys will be cut off from the outside.
Not even the best cave divers in the world
would be able to get back in.
[foreboding music plays]
[Narongsak] Show me.
[Appakorn] How can you be sure?
The rain has leveled off.
Why would the water surge now?
It's not sudden.
It's been building towards it
since the rain started.
I ran the calculations all morning.
The rate of flow inside the cave,
with the rate of rainfall outside,
given the makeup of the mountain,
granite on the northern side of the border
forcing all the water
to the southern side. This side.
Which is limestone.
It's like a giant sponge.
When a sponge is oversaturated,
the water spills out.
Which is what's happening here.
That is the PNR!
- What does she mean by that?
- [Bhak] Point of no return.
It means a stage where we can
no longer reverse the situation.
[Kelly imploring] Governor.
When the water passes that red tape,
it'll seal the interior passages,
the sumps beyond the T-junction,
the chambers will begin to fill.
There will be no place
for the divers to stop between sumps.
It will be too dangerous
to dive in or out.
In a normal year, when would the cave
become passable again?
October.
[Luke] Three months from now?
Four hours before we are cut off
from the boys until October?
You sure?
Summon everyone to headquarters.
Right now.
[dramatic music plays]
For you, Coach. Take it.
You must be starving. Go on.
Thank you very much.
Coach, really fine job.
Now, I've got it.
I'll take it from here. Okay?
This stuff is starting
to become my favorite.
Sir, what is this called?
Uh, they call it "energy gel."
Sir, I'm not complaining
but next time, could you, uh,
bring some watermelon
or some chocolate cake?
[boys chattering]
[Aran] Okay, tone it down.
Calm down, guys.
I could eat a raw fish.
I bet not.
- [Dom] I would. I'm hungry.
- [Eak] Heard that.
[all drinking in silence]
I'll be right there ♪
Right there by your side ♪
To keep you company ♪
[all groaning]
[Phong] No one wants to hear
this song, dude.
How long you gonna keep singing that?
It's so last decade.
Just wanna tease you, Phong.
This song is just stuck in my head.
There is a way you can remove a song
from your head. Did you know that?
Well, if I knew I would stop singing.
If you'd only write me ♪
If you'd only cry out ♪
[all groaning]
Then I'll be there ♪
What's the next line?
I don't remember the lyrics.
[soldier] The only way to get a song
out of your head is to sing another song!
["Splash Out" by 3.2.1
featuring Baitoey Rsiam playing]
- Just call me
- [boys laughing]
Baitoey, huh?
Let me see the real you ♪
My heart is open ♪
Your heart is not open ♪
Oh, oh, oh! ♪
[music ends]
We need to get as much food into that cave
as possible in the next four hours.
And then pray that it buys us enough time
to find another route in.
It's not just food.
We've all seen the video.
Some, if not all those boys,
could be dealing
with infections, pneumonia.
I won't know
until I get in there and check them.
So we need medical supplies,
and we need food.
But Mike, show them.
We've been reconfiguring
our dry bags all morning.
We need to get everything
from this box into that bag.
But the simple truth is,
the amount of food required
to feed twelve boys, one adult,
plus our SEAL team,
can't fit into this dry bag.
It's the only thing we can swim in.
One bag per man.
We can't swim enough calories in,
in the next four hours.
Excuse me, sir. If I may?
We might have something that can help.
Meals, Ready-to-Eat. MRE.
Each of these contains 1200 calories
and a little bit of magic.
Heats itself.
If we strip the utensils and packaging,
we can get more of them in the dry bags.
Got a few hundred here. All yours.
Whatever you need.
- Cool Ranch Doritos flavor?
- Yeah, an American delicacy.
- [Chet] Huh.
- Let's get to work.
[Chet] Let's go.
[ethereal string music playing]
[Bhak] Governor.
Even with the MREs
that the Americans gave us,
we can only carry enough
for two meals a day, for three days only.
It means we only have three more days
to find a way to reach chamber 9
before the boys start going hungry again.
But it's not just the kids.
You are also risking your lives.
I'm sure that you will be able
to bring us back home.
Yes. You be careful.
- Yes, sir. Governor.
- [Narongsak] Good luck.
Admiral.
[diver 1 talking]
[diver 2] SEALs are coming in now.
This way, Doc.
All right?
Be careful, it's slippery.
Please listen to the steps.
[diver 3] Walk slowly.
You could easily lose your footing here.
[ominous music playing]
[Chet] Baitoey, are you sure
about staying behind with Dr. Bhak?
[Baitoey] I'm staying.
I still have a job to do.
I've been assigned
to keep the boys' spirits up.
[Bhak] Are you sure?
It could be
your last chance to get out of there.
Think about it, man.
You've been here longer than anyone else.
Doc, it's okay.
I know what's at stake.
Hmm.
[Bhak] All geared up?
Coach.
A word?
[Bhak] Sure.
[Eak] The Navy SEALs,
when will they be coming back?
[Bhak] I'm not sure.
They promise they'll do
everything they can to get back soon.
[Narongsak] We have three days
before the boys run out of food.
I've asked Major Hensen
to coordinate with our military
in the search for an alternate route
as close to chamber 9 as possible,
so we can pull our boys to safety.
We're looking for holes
that go all the way down into the cave.
The only way to success
is to make every minute count.
Understood?
[all murmur agreement]
This is our search area.
We'll be working
side by side with the Thai Army
to assign the ground teams.
With explicit orders to stay
within the boundaries of your subsection.
Everybody good? All right, slow and clean!
Everybody else will be assigned
one of 18 areas
where a team from
the Geotechnical Institute in Chiang Mai
have identified possible entry points.
We got something here.
- [dramatic music playing]
- [monks chanting]
We can't get in from here.
It's not an entrance.
- [dramatic music continues]
- [chanting continues]
Nice work, guys.
[James] Hey, we still have two more days
before their food runs out.
This ain't over yet.
We're hacking through jungle
looking for holes in the ground.
It's worse than a needle in a haystack.
And there's gotta be a better way.
[gadget pings]
[soldier] Waiting approval to move, Major.
[Charles] Let's look at the ridge
from here to here.
Governor, I was wondering
if I could run an idea by you.
I spoke to the Minister of Agriculture,
he mentioned repeatedly
that your work to help farmers
through the drought has been
less than successful.
Yes, there's a lot
of complicating factors.
But, sir,
I believe I can lower
the water levels in the cave.
Enough to dive supplies in again.
Buy rescuers more time
to find an alternate route.
What makes you think
you can do it when no one else can?
Whatever the minister told you,
I know hydrology.
If I can stop the flow of water
into the cave, I can stop the rise inside.
What do you need?
I have the gear,
so I just need some muscle to help.
And a guide.
Ideally, someone who knows the area well.
[suspenseful music playing]
[indistinct dialogue]
[Bhak] All right, now look up.
Okay.
[Mark] Dr. Bhak.
Um, I'm still hungry.
[Bhak] I'm really sorry, Mark.
- It's important that we limit our rations.
- [Nick] Why's that?
Aren't they coming to get us out of here?
It's not that.
It's about your stomachs.
You haven't been eating much for days.
If you eat too much food too quickly,
it could possibly make you ill.
Sir, I wouldn't mind giving it a try.
[Baitoey] Come on now, Titan.
Do you want to poop in your pants
while you're stuck in here?
[boys laughing]
[Bhak] Hey.
I have something
you might be interested in.
[Titan] What?
- I have some letters. From your parents.
- [boys gasp]
[Bhak] We used special waterproof paper
so they'd make it in.
- [boy gasps]
- From our families?
So does that mean
they know about us being alive?
- [Bhak] Yes, of course.
- [Mark gasps]
[Bhak] They come here every day.
They all come here
to pray for your well-being.
It's not only that.
You've got thousands of people out there
who are worried about you,
from all around the world.
You mind if we read it?
[boys clamoring]
- [chuckles]
- Ooh-ee!
[Eak] Okay, come on boys. That's enough.
Here. I'll read them to you.
Read mine first, okay?
I bet those two are still fighting.
"Dear Titan."
"We love you very much."
"Be patient and strong."
"We believe in you."
"You can make it."
"Your pa really loves
and misses you a lot."
"Yours, Ma."
[boys shouting and taunting]
Hey, pal. Sounds like somebody loves ya.
[all laughing]
Hey, Coach Eak. What's up?
Tell me, is there more?
"We want you to thank Coach Eak
because he has been able
to keep all you boys safe all this time."
"And we're not angry with him."
But why would they be angry?
It certainly isn't Eak's fault
that we're all stuck in here.
[talking excitedly]
- [Adul] Can I see? Come on.
- [Note] Hey, give me mine.
- Move, please.
- [boys chattering]
Where's mine?
[boys murmuring]
[Mix] No, no, no
Ah, no, that's not mine.
[Dom] Hey! Get off me!
I'm getting up!
- [Night] Wait, gimme mine!
- What's the problem, Dom?
[Night] I can't Oh no, wait.
I was just hoping I'd get a hot dog.
With mayonnaise.
[boys continue talking impatiently]
Dom!
I was about to hit the water.
How 'bout you join me?
Fine, then.
Let's go! Whoo!
Aha!
Follow me!
Oh! Whoo!
[whoops excitedly]
[whoops]
I don't recommend it.
Now I'm freezing my butt off.
[boys laughing]
[shouts playfully]
[boys laughing]
[boys chattering excitedly]
[Noi] Governor!
[Narongsak] Ah, Noi.
I'm glad you took my advice
and got some rest.
You owe me one.
I wasted my opportunity to write to Dom.
You told us earlier that there was
nothing to gain by remaining here.
Everyone else got to send a message
to their kids.
Dom is the only child that hasn't received
a letter from his family.
Dear Noi, I'm sorry.
Governor, you have to send a diver.
Could you send a diver in again
and let him deliver my letter to Dom?
I understand your feelings, but
it's
the timing is terrible.
Listen, our Dom's alone in there.
We can't allow him to worry.
We've got to tell him
that all of us are here.
It's not me that's against it.
I I just can't.
Just what are you saying?
[Narongsak] The last group of SEALs
has returned just now.
The water is flooding the cave entrance.
I just can't send anyone in.
Not now.
At least not for the moment.
The cave entrance
is sealed off by the flood.
[Noi] What does this mean for my nephew?
This way.
[Kelly] I've reviewed all the maps
Vern has of the cave and chambers
and where the water
usually flows from and to
and compared that
to the satellite imagery.
This, right here,
is the location of the falls
that I believe is the major source
feeding water into the Monk's Series.
This stream runs straight to the falls
and into Luang Cave.
If we dam it with the sandbags,
we can divert all the water
to the stream here,
running to our right,
and southwest down to Myanmar.
That's far from Luang Cave.
Then we stand a chance of controlling
the water table inside the cave.
[Pim] Do you really think
it's that simple?
I've seen mountain springs
disappear in one place
only to reappear
meters away the next winter.
Do you really think
you can control nature with sandbags?
I've seen sandbags hold back
hurricane flooding in the States.
It works.
[suspenseful music playing]
[Luke] Governor,
I went looking for a faster way,
but I've never seen anything like this.
And Jirasak here came highly recommended
by the DSS engineers at the embassy.
He brought a hell of a shortcut with him.
Essentially, we'll create
a small sound quake inside the cave,
which will help us pinpoint the areas
of the cave holding the most water.
Like the chamber where the boys are?
Yes, they will be the widest
and easiest to drill into.
We just have to find them.
Imagine you put a pebble
on the floor of this tent.
And you drill through the roof
hoping you would hit the pebble.
Jirasak here can find the pebble
from outside the tent,
so we know exactly where to drill.
The boys need every chance they can get.
You, continue the search.
Good luck.
[soldier] Here.
Here's another one.
[Kelly] All right.
I'll take measurements tonight
on both sides of the dam,
run the calculations,
and again in the morning.
It'll tell me if we're diverting
enough water per square meter.
Then we can assume that the levels
in the cave have stabilized.
[gadget pings]
[gadget beeping]
When you've got your reading,
you should come down to camp.
The bears come down to the water at night.
This area is called "Pha Mee."
"Mee" translates to "bear."
You know that, right?
I do now.
[tense music playing]
[Jirasak] The sound quakes are working.
We just need more and louder waves
to register the negative spaces.
[Luke] Incredible.
It's like a 3D x-ray of the mountain.
But we need a higher resolution image.
- We need a
- Harder hit?
- Mm-hmm.
- Stand by.
[computer bleeps]
[Jirasak] We got it!
[man] Get over here.
He's climbing back up!
- [soldier 1] All coming down.
- [soldier 2] Better hurry up.
Could he climb all the way down?
At the moment, he can't get past
the point that's too narrow.
He says he just might make it
if he leaves his gear behind.
[Tobias speaking German]
[speaking in German]
[in English] The water down there
is too deep,
and without safety gear,
it's too big a risk.
The only way in is without gear.
[Sean] What if we drill to widen the hole?
[Jirasak] He's suggesting that we drill.
But the logistics necessary to make that
happen in the middle of the jungle
We need to bring it up with a helicopter.
Clear a place for it to land.
My men can clear an LZ, not a problem.
I'll land that helo on a Thai baht.
All right. Let's go!
[Tee] Hey, read it again.
[Mix mocking] "Titan, we love you
and miss you very much!"
[boys whooping]
- "Hang in there, darling."
- [boys chuckling, teasing]
- [Mix] "Be strong!"
- [boys cheering]
[Titan] Enough of that!
[boys clamoring]
"I'm sure that you will succeed
- in making it through."
- [all] "Making it through!"
[Tle] Hey, Biw. Read mine.
[Baitoey] Doesn't take much
to cheer them up, does it?
[mocking] "You take good care, okay?
Say your prayers and think of us."
- Oh, come on, man.
- [all laughing]
- [Biw] "And don't pick your nose!"
- Aha! Great move there.
- [Biw] "We're all waiting for you."
- Take me if you're sure you can.
If you move back,
then I'll jump you there.
[Dom] Hey, guys. Enough of the letters.
Time to dance. Who's with me?
[all groaning]
- Will you party with me, Baitoey?
- I'm flattered, but I'll sit this one out.
But you can't! This is your song.
Let me see the real you ♪
My heart is open ♪
Your heart is not open, oh, oh, oh ♪
[Baitoey] Uh-uh.
Let me finish this round first.
My heart's going to burst ♪
[boys moaning]
Dom! Would you stop it?
I just wanted to enjoy myself.
Dom. Chill out.
- Let me see.
- [boys talking softly]
[boys discussing letters]
[Kelly] This should've worked.
The water should be going down, not up.
[poignant music playing]
JOINT ADMINISTRATION CENTER
[journalists reporting]
- [Bhak] Here you go.
- Thank you.
- [Bhak] Here.
- [Adul] Thank you.
Dom's not here?
I saw him go down that tunnel.
Why is that?
Didn't wanna ask him.
Poor guy's been acting kinda weird,
and he wouldn't talk about it.
He didn't receive a letter.
[Eak] He didn't?
I should have seen that.
It's not your fault.
I missed his letter
because I was in a big rush to go.
I'll go check on him.
If you ask me, you should leave him alone.
Let me go talk to him.
[Dom humming softly]
I'm not hungry.
Liar.
[Dom continues humming]
[Adul humming along]
I'll be right there ♪
Right there by your side ♪
To keep you company
And ease up your mind ♪
That's it.
Exactly right.
I'll be right there ♪
[Adul humming along]
If it's you, I'll go right away ♪
I'll go and make you feel good ♪
I can't believe you remembered that.
Nobody else has.
I suppose our elders don't either.
In the old days, when I lived with my mom,
she would sing it to me a lot.
That was before she sent me
to live with my aunt and Pastor Shin.
Back then, I was very young.
I hardly remember her at all.
Except for her singing.
Do you think she still thinks about you
in spite of the separation?
Yeah. I'm pretty sure.
Pastor Shin and my aunt
take good care of me.
My mom moved to another city.
I'm staying with my aunt,
her family, and my father.
We each have our own story.
It feels like
I'm passing through everyone else's.
Sometimes, I feel like nobody wants me.
Nobody cares about me being here.
[Adul] Come on.
How could anyone forget you
and your horrible singing? [chuckles]
A family is always complicated.
Now we're both in the same family.
Wild Boars to eternity.
[Dom breathes shakily]
[Phong's grandma] They will be
getting out soon. I can feel it.
And when they do get out,
our time will come to make amends.
On that day, Dom was a real brat.
He kept pestering me
about going to his soccer match.
Too much work.
[voice cracks]
We never had time to be together.
[shudders]
That's all he wanted.
Time for us two
Maybe some affection.
[Phong's grandma] Soon you'll have
plenty of time to be together.
Of this, I'm certain.
Here. Have some fruit.
[Pim] Any change?
Kelly.
No.
That can't be it.
- [Kelly] Pim
- [Pim] Oh.
we did the best we could.
You don't understand.
I was the ranger on duty
when the storm came.
I am the one that didn't close the cave.
Didn't find them in time.
I need to make sure they get out.
Are you sure there is no other way?
I thought I could turn
this mountain's faucet off,
but I can't find the tap.
Look at this current.
We didn't even make a dent.
[tense music playing]
Where are you going?
Pim!
So what if it's not a faucet
that we need to turn off?
What if it's more like a bathtub,
and we need to pull the stopper out?
We could scour the entire mountain range
and still never find it.
There's this pool of water
that appears during the monsoon season
and then disappears
into the earth during the dry season.
But the land around it stays lush.
They say when the princess is thirsty,
this pool is her chalice.
- But I'm pretty sure
- It's an aquifer?
Do you know where it is?
[Pim] Just a few miles south of here,
near the entrance of the Saitong Cave.
What do you think?
[Kelly] I think we need
to find this underground lake
and the closest place
it touches the surface.
You said that pond isn't always full?
Only at the end of the rainy season.
Is that good or bad?
If there's an aquifer below us,
then it's good.
Means it's full, and there's no more room,
so the water's staying up here.
That's the table. Now we lower it.
[Pim] And how exactly do we do that?
We drill.
If we can break through
to the water underneath our feet,
then we pump it out
as fast as we possibly can.
[dramatic music playing]
[pilot over radio] This is heavy-lift one
approaching coordinates.
Heavy-lift one, this is LC.
We have you in sight.
Vector 1-1-0-5 knots. Standby for strobe.
LC, we copy. Standing by for strobe.
[worker] Right
[Luke] This drill
should get us inside the cave.
From there, hopefully,
we'll be able to reach the boys.
Bring it over here!
Come on, hurry! Let's go!
[Kelly] Bring it over here.
Come on! Get a move on!
[machinery powering up]
[machine operator shouting]
[whirring, grinding]
[machine buzzing, chugging]
[machinery getting louder]
[pensive music playing]
[machinery roaring]
[yelling in Mandarin]
[machinery powering down]
Why did they stop?
[speaking in Mandarin]
- There's no water yet.
- Ask him if they hit air.
Sir.
[Charles speaks Mandarin]
[speaking in Mandarin]
[in English] We'll know in a few minutes
once this all clears out.
- Okay. Keep going.
- Roll.
[Cheng replies in Mandarin,
yells orders in Mandarin]
[machinery powering up]
[softly] Come on. Come on.
Hey! Come here!
What do you think?
They almost there!
It's gonna work!
[machinery screeches]
[Cheng yells in Mandarin]
[Charles] Hey! Cut it!
[machinery powers down]
[Charles] Sand. Not air.
[solemn silence]
[poignant music playing]
[Charles glumly] It's a dead end.
We have failed them.
[poignant music continues]
I think it's time I went
and spoke to the boys' families.
[Pim] Governor!
There's an update.
[stirring music playing]
Yes!
We did it. We did it!
[Narongsak] We lost the battle.
But thanks to these two,
not the war.
We need a pump. A big one. A dragon pump.
And this dragon pump,
can you keep the water levels this low,
so we can dive and reach the boys?
If the rain stays steady,
yes.
We owe you both a huge debt.
Thank you.
Thank you.
These three days
have made one thing clear.
We can't drill the boys out.
The only way out for the boys
is the same way they went in.
So
we need a new rescue plan.
[suspenseful music playing]