[solemn classical music playing]
[Buddhist monks chanting]
[man 1] Hurry! Hurry!
-[man 2] Let's go! -[man 1] Yes, sir!
-[man 2] Move it! -[man 3] Yes, sir!
[somber music playing]
[clock ticks]
[somber music continues]
[solemn silence]
[parents chattering frantically]
[thunder rumbling]
[Appakorn] It is with deep sadness that after the events of yesterday,
I must report, just after midnight,
a retired soldier and former Thai Navy SEAL,
Petty Officer First Class Saman Gunan,
passed away during the rescue mission to save the boys from the cave.
He was positioning oxygen tanks inside of the cave.
But did not have enough of his own to complete the journey and leave safely.
[poignant music playing]
[Appakorn] "Ja Sam," as he was known by his family and friends,
volunteered to help here at Tham Luang, as so many brave souls such as his have.
He was a hero to all of us here until his dying breath.
There have been many questions asked this morning
about what his death means for the future of this operation
and the boys.
I can assure you, we will not stop.
We are not going to give up. We will keep going.
We will continue the mission.
We will not let his sacrifice go to waste.
His sacrifice gives us courage.
[reporters clamoring excitedly]
Are you still thinking of having the kids dive on their own?
[all reporters chattering loudly]
How about safety?
[muted clamoring continues]
[high-pitched tone ringing]
Safety for the Wild Boars and the rescuers
has always been a priority.
Which is why we are discussing everything
with the interior minister,
who is due to arrive shortly.
-Next question. -[reporters clamor]
[theme music playing]
[woman] When I saw that soldier being carried out,
it broke my heart.
[Tai sobbing]
What his family must feel.
[voice quavering] How he died. It must be terrible.
Here. Drink this. You'll feel better.
I thought it would be over since he has died.
-[women crying] -But they're still going to help our boys.
[crying continues]
[Nick] Do you think your mom is mad, Tle?
Oh yeah. That's an understatement.
I'll never be allowed to leave the house ever again.
[dramatic music playing]
[Thai SEALs shouting]
Could you excuse us? We need the room.
[soldiers assenting politely]
What is this?
We're helping you get through this without any further disasters, all right?
There is a lot more at stake here, Nong.
[minister] Governor. Please, have a seat.
-Hello. -Hello.
Any news?
The British dive experts are checking the route
for any new obstructions that may have caused last night's tragedy.
Apparently, it is not uncommon
for rocks and sand to shift once a cave begins to flood.
Is that how he died?
We may never know with certainty what happened in there.
But conditions are more treacherous than any of us anticipated.
-And they're only going to get worse. -[minister] Agreed.
Once the British have given us the all-clear to go back in,
we're going to continue the mission.
You can't seriously think you should continue this mission?
[tutting] As the sun rose,
the entire nation mourned the loss of a warrior.
One of the best of us.
He succumbed to this monster and died sacrificing himself.
How can we send starved and exhausted children into this
and expect anything other than the same fate for them, hmm?
I share your concerns.
-Minister. -[minister] Yes.
The governor has been keeping me up-to-date
on everything that's been going on here.
In light of this recent tragic death,
we should consider an alternative.
A way that simply keeps the boys alive for the time being.
We can keep them alive.
That should be what matters most right now in this situation.
You mean inside the cave, right?
[Kiattisak] Yes.
[minister] Won't they run out of oxygen if they stay in there?
That's why we'll pump in oxygen from outside the cave.
It's an alternative they once considered but dismissed early on.
Unfortunately, it seems-- I think too hastily sometimes,
but right now, we must consider this as a viable option for those kids.
Is this possible?
The foreign cave-diving experts
have already laid out the guideline for us,
in less than a week's time.
It is the same principle but with an air hose.
And how can we guarantee their safety for that long inside of the cave?
We know that some of those chambers flood completely in the monsoon season.
[Kiattisak] But how can you guarantee their safety
diving out of there given all that has happened?
You can't possibly expect those boys to survive diving out of the cave?
I've already asked Admiral Appakorn and the Americans
to work on new safety protocols.
Sir, no one wants a repeat of today.
But we can't just abandon a plan that has some chance of success.
-There are too many variables. -How can you--
[gasps] That's enough! Listen to me.
[minister sighs]
We've been reminded today of exactly what is at stake here.
Prove yourselves.
Now is the time to do so.
So, find out what exactly it'll take
to ensure the boys remain alive in the cave.
No detail is too small for this.
And you, discuss your new safety protocols with your divers.
You have the higher bar to clear given Ja Sam's death.
I want the both of you, no matter what it takes,
to exhaust every possible outcome.
So, when this is over, no one will be able to say
we didn't try everything we possibly could to bring those boys to safety.
I will except no more mistakes.
[Narongsak sighs]
Two days ago, you wanted them out immediately.
Why the dramatic shift?
What are you after?
Don't be so cynical, Nong.
I just don't want anyone else dying.
Neither do I.
[Kiattisak grumbles]
[footsteps receding]
[Eak] Something has changed.
Tell us what happened.
[Bhak] A SEAL has died,
but I didn't know him that well personally.
[Baitoey] We were in the same unit before he retired.
He was an exceptional SEAL.
But he was an even better man.
[solemn music playing]
He would still be alive right now if I didn't bring the team here.
Is he going to be all right?
Eventually.
When they're all safely out of the cave.
And when he figures out how to forgive himself.
[Baitoey] Bhak.
I think you should tell him.
The oxygen meter dropped below 15% this morning.
We are in the danger zone now.
Sam's death has changed the calculations
the higher-ups are making out there, but…
we're gonna get you out of here as soon as we can.
Keep Eak's spirits up.
[muted laughter]
[thunder rumbles]
[Narongsak] The interior minister
is considering keeping the boys in the cave
until the monsoon ends and waters recede.
[Rick] Four months?
You might as well be telling those boys we've given up on them!
That's what it's going to feel like if they're told to wait this thing out
until autumn with an oxygen tube in there.
What's their plan if the oxygen tube gets a hole in it?
Or one of the kids gets pneumonia?
How's Dr. Bhak supposed to treat that in a damp, dark cave?
All we can do is focus on what's being asked of us,
which boils down to one question.
Are we doing everything we can to guarantee the boys' safety
on the dive out?
We have learned a brutal lesson.
My men are highly skilled divers out in open water,
but here, we're learning as we go.
So, for the safety of everyone involved,
the rescue itself should be handled by expert cave divers.
My men will provide all necessary support.
But, sir…
This is an unprecedented mission.
We have to adjust our plans according to the changing circumstances.
-[Narongsak] Are you up for this? -[murmurs of assent]
Okay, then. What do we do next?
So, the biggest threat, aside from the cave itself, is panic.
Panic is a powerful human reflex. It's impossible to combat.
We're asking these kids
to dive through tight spaces
filled with sharp objects in pitch-black, cold water.
[John] For several hours at a time.
It's not a matter of if, but how long before they panic.
When they do, they will thrash around.
They will endanger the lives of divers and themselves.
What do you suggest we do to prevent that from happening?
Oh-- [sighs]
If we're going to buddy-swim them out, we need to restrict their movements.
[sighs] When a lifeguard is trying to save someone from drowning,
they'll swim them out on their back,
immobilizing them-- their arms at the shoulder,
but that's not feasible in spaces this tight or for this long.
Restrict their movement, you wanna zip-tie their hands?
Behind their backs, ideally.
-Feet too. -[Chet] Are you insane?
You wanna handcuff children underwater?
The only way we can safely take them out of the cave
is to treat them like the packages of MREs or the air tanks going in.
They must be fully immobilized.
Even zip-tied, they'll likely still thrash, panic, stirring up silt.
What if they knock you off the guide rope?
Go ahead. Your idea.
[somber music playing]
What if we anesthetized them?
[solemn silence]
Is this really the plan from the head of operations?
That's insane! Get the kids drugged underwater.
Would they do this to their own children?
Chet!
You're out of line.
[softly] Hey, man. Let's go for a walk.
[Rick] No one wants to do it, but short of a better idea,
I can't see how else we can prevent them from panicking for long enough
to save their lives.
Say we did go down this path,
how would you do it?
Which one of you is the doctor?
-[Rick scoffs under breath] -None of us are doctors.
James and some of the other pararescue jumpers
have experience in combat medicine.
But not with children underwater in a high-altitude cave.
I don't even know if it's realistic, but I know someone who will.
Richard Harris.
Dr. Harry.
He's an Australian cave diver, but he's also an anesthetist.
Only one in the world, as far as we know.
[man] You actually got them to agree to this insane scheme?
[John over phone] Not exactly.
They're open to it, but they'll need some convincing.
Yes, well… Reckon I'll need some convincing as well.
Well, aren't you Wet Mules always whinging in your blog
about wanting to find unique solutions for unique problems?
This is about as unique as it comes. This is a bloody unicorn.
Better not let Craig hear you call it a "blog."
He didn't!
[Craig chuckles]
I dunno. What you're asking's never been done before, and for good reason.
Even if I could work out the logistics, there's medical ethics.
And also,
I can't do this without a partner I trust. I don't move without Craig.
Dr. Harris.
That's my father's name.
Harry, I'm not sure we can get approval fast enough.
Your embassy said you were pre-vetted through AUSMAT,
so it was an easy ask of Canberra, but Craig will be a tougher sell.
Major, with respect,
I don't move without Craig.
Okay, let me see what I can do.
[thunder rumbling]
[Kelly] Thankfully, there's more good news than bad news.
[Kiattisak] How do you mean?
Because we've tried so many ways to clear water out of the cave,
we've got at least 30 different types of pipes and hoses out there right now.
[officer whispering]
[Kiattisak] You can make this work?
Since some are of different sizes, we'll have to jury-rig them together.
Can your team start immediately?
There are still some calculations to be done.
I've posted some of the problem sets on Facebook and Reddit.
On Facebook?
[Pim] Sir, engineers from around the world are watching.
Crowdsourcing some of the best minds out there can really speed up the process.
Using good calculations, some of the materials can be ruled out.
While that's being done, I'm gonna start with the practical tests.
The maps don't do justice to the trickiest bits.
Some things we won't know until we get in there and measure it.
[whispering]
Minister, sir, we are currently working with a team of Americans
to determine how many additional MREs we'll need
to keep the boys fed for the next few months,
as well as how long it will take to get supplies into the cave--
Hi, excuse the interruption.
I'm looking for a forest ranger named Pim.
[Kiattisak] And who are you exactly?
I'm Noon from the TMD in Bangkok.
Noon, hi.
[Noon] I couldn't take it anymore. Today the satellite went down again.
The same one that went down when this all started.
So I came here. I had to do something. Especially for Ja Sam.
Wait. What are you doing here?
I'm gonna set up a mobile weather station at the top of Pha Mee mountain.
That boss of mine didn't want me to come here.
He said the satellite would be up again.
But after what happened last time, I was able to convince him
that if anyone found out we could've helped and didn't try,
it would be a career-ending kind of scandal.
I think that part is what got to him.
Pim, I was hoping you could help me out with this.
I'm in the middle of strategizing.
All of the strategizing in the world
isn't going to help if the weather changes on us.
It's too late to leave now. I think we should talk to the governor.
He'll wanna meet you.
Excuse me.
That's government property.
Thai government.
Thai Meteorological Department by the looks of it.
Seems like your boss has a friend at the US Embassy.
He called, worried that some intern of his might injure herself in the jungle.
My commander asked me to look after you.
Okay.
It's nice to meet you in person. You're younger than I thought.
[Night snoring]
[Tle and Nick giggling]
[Night coughing]
-[Tle] Hey! -[Nick] You okay?
[Night continues coughing]
-[Nick] I'm sorry. -[Tle laughing]
-[Night coughing] -[Eak] Tle! Nick! What are you doing?
Nothing happened. We were just messing around.
[Night coughs]
[Eak] Do you understand Night could have choked?
[Night coughing]
I'm all right, Coach.
That was extremely dangerous.
[shouting] I mean, how is it you don't understand that?
So, whether you meant it or not,
you have to be careful!
Terrible things can still happen! No more messing around!
I've had enough!
[yells] Go to sleep now!
[Tle] Sorry, Coach.
Now!
[Buddhist monks chanting quietly]
[solemn silence]
Dr. Harris, I'm your escort, Toe, from the embassy.
[Harry] What's going on here?
[Toe] They're taking the Navy SEAL back to Sattahip to be buried by his wife.
He was the first fatality of the cave.
[thunder rumbling]
-[SEAL 1] Okay, follow him. -[SEAL 2] Yes, sir.
[SEAL 1] Watch your step.
[James talking indistinctly]
Everyone!
Anesthetist extraordinaire Dr. Harry
and his dive buddy, Craig.
Veterinarian extraordinaire.
[Narongsak] We are grateful that you're here.
You'll forgive us if we do not waste time. Please.
Each of these colors represents a chamber inside the cave.
Between them are the submerged sumps.
The boys are here in chamber 9.
With four SEALs, one of them's a doctor who says
they're in relatively good health.
The way we've worked it out is each of the Wild Boars
will be assigned two divers to swim him out of each submerged sump.
-[Craig] You don't wanna use two divers. -Why not?
A couple of years ago, a friend of ours, uh,
a young diver called Agnes, went missing during a dive,
and Harry and I handled the recovery.
We almost found out firsthand why two divers is a bad idea.
If you think about it, if the lead diver gets jammed up,
there's no way of communicating
with the guy behind him that he's in trouble.
If you get stuck in a tight spot,
the diver behind you is pressing forward with a body,
no one knows what the hell's going on--
Someone is going to get hurt or worse, right?
[James] Okay.
So, to help the solo diver,
we'll position the other divers throughout the cave with SKEDs
to pull the boys out of the water
and carry them through the chambers between sumps.
We've been trying to find a way to secure the regulator in the mouth.
[Charles] We suggested looking into full face masks.
We were able to find a few of these down south.
So far, all I've heard is the ways you're setting my friend up here
to send 12 boys to a watery grave.
May I?
The only way this works is with positive-pressure masks.
We looked into those. They don't make 'em small enough.
[Craig] There's gotta be one for a small adult
or a teenager somewhere out there that'd work.
What's the difference with a positive-pressure mask?
[Craig] Diving requires the active participation of the diver,
so you've gotta keep the regulator in your mouth in order to breathe--
If these boys are unconscious, they won't be breathing regularly.
They sure as hell won't be able to keep a regulator in their mouth
or notice water coming in.
And neither will the diver that's pulling them through. So…
They'll drown.
But a positive-pressure mask, we've worked with them in the States,
the air is flowing,
pressurized air coming in no matter what.
Only way these boys have a fighting chance.
And if we can't find the masks?
Well, then Craig's right.
I can't anesthetize them.
They will drown.
But if we can find a mask small enough,
and we're able to ballast the boys level and face down in the water--
Wait, why face down?
So they don't obstruct their airways, don't choke on their own tongue,
drown in their own saliva.
There is a chance
if we can get the masks.
Okay. We got our marching orders.
[James] So Chet is working with Kelly and Jirasak to try and pipe in oxygen?
[Aran] Yeah.
Yeah, well he's taking Sam's death hard.
Yeah. You know, Chet and Ja Sam, they'd known each other a long time.
He wants a chance to make it right.
Okay. Please, start it up!
[engine starts]
The compressor pushes the air down the hose, up through this tank here.
[air hissing]
[Kelly] The tank will be filled with water to catch any leaks.
The engineer, he's got the air-out end.
[Chet] This seems like a thorough plan.
If it's working, how will we know that?
[Chet] Yes, how will we know if it leaks?
The water will fill up with air bubbles at the junction.
[Chet] That's true, if there's a leak, air bubbles come out here.
[compressor whirring]
[Harry] Look, you have to trust me on this.
They'll be fully conscious underwater,
in the pitch black for hours without control over their bodies.
Would you like to experience that type of torture?
He says using muscle relaxants can be torture and too dangerous for the boys.
[doctor] Maybe we should revisit Midazolam.
Or maybe Lorazepam.
[Harry] Yes-- [sighs]
As I explained before,
I'm really not comfortable with either of those.
They're too, um, unpredictable.
We really should lean into Dr. Harris's plan.
Ketamine is the way to go.
It's reliable, and it won't lower core body temperature,
and in turn, means that it won't lower blood pressure on the dive.
Ketamine truly does seem like the least harmful option,
and it won't mess with their vitals.
[doctor 2] But it doesn't last very long.
If they wake up during the dive, what would you do with them?
That's a good point.
What would you do if they wake up during the dive?
Uh, the diver taking them out will have to jab them again.
[Narongsak] Leave them in
or take them out.
We should ask their parents what they think.
[Kiattisak] We're the leaders.
Now we have to decide what to do with them.
Those people there, there are no divers among them.
No engineers with them.
Plus, they're emotional and mentally drained.
Ask yourself, if your daughter was in a cave,
could you handle the situation objectively?
I don't know.
But tell me, wouldn't you want a say in all of this?
[thunder rumbles]
-[man 1] How long have you been in for? [man 2] The Air Force? Ten years.
-Ever seen anything like this? Nope.
[Harry] Tell me we found some masks.
The Yanks managed to pull four custom, extra-small positive-pressure masks
out of their arses.
They sent a transport all the way to God knows where to pick them up.
They sent a whole plane for four masks?
Hey, mate, it's not my hard-earned Australian tax dollars at work.
Oh, and the SEALs, uh, got the SKEDs together too.
They're setting up a dry run at a pool nearby.
So a wet run, then?
No, that's not what that means.
A wet run--
Are you gonna tell me what happened in there or not?
Look, they're rightly nervous about all of this.
But they wanna dictate every aspect of the process.
The medicine, the dosage, all of it.
You're the guy that's gonna be inside the cave doling it out.
Not much they can do to stop you doing it your way--
Craig.
What happens when one of those boys dies?
Because we both know that's gonna happen. How do I explain myself?
I'm a murderer on foreign soil. You're an accessory.
We both end up in a Bangkok prison. It's true.
No, no. That's when I get Toe here to smuggle me out.
I've been told not to listen to anything you say.
[Craig] And that is good advice. You're a quick study.
So are we just gonna walk away?
I need to see these boys for myself.
[James] This what you want too?
[Craig] It's not about what I want. I move with Harry.
[Harry] If they are going to be my patients,
I surely have the right to examine them myself.
I don't know. You'd be better off running practice drills in a pool with us.
This whole exercise might be moot
if I get in there and decide they're not up to it.
[Rick] Have you thought about what it's going to be like
to swim away from these boys
knowing you could be leaving them there to die?
[Phong's grandma] Those are our only options?
If they were your children,
would you risk their lives during the rescue
or risk their lives inside the cave?
Both options are risky, yes.
Of course they are. But what would you do?
I'd rescue them.
[Namhom] Why is that?
For a dangerous situation like this,
it's about choosing between a quick death
and a slow one.
But this is not my decision.
Thank you, Governor.
I appreciate your honesty.
I feel the same way.
[Narongsak] If you're willing to give your consent,
I need you to sign a release form,
so that we can proceed.
We need the boy's name, the guardian's name,
and your signature here.
One per family.
[people sobbing, mumbling]
[women sobbing]
I will not!
You think you know what it feels like to have a dead child!
But I promise you, you have no idea!
And I will not sign!
I'm telling you now,
no person is going to make me give up on my Tle!
[footsteps retreating]
-[man sobs] -[thunder rumbles]
[Biw's dad] Sak!
You look lost!
-[Sak] I'm giving my wife some space. -[Biw's dad] Come, take a seat.
We can take a break from our wives together.
[Thai song playing softly on radio]
[Thai song finishes]
["Splash Out" by 3.2.1 featuring Baitoey Rsiam starts]
[chuckles softly]
-It's… It's Biw's favorite song. -[Sak] Mm, Tle too.
I always turn the volume up whenever it comes on
just to tease him a little.
I was out the night before.
The night before they went into the cave.
But I stopped by the soccer field.
I wasn't sure if Biw wanted me to see him there practicing.
Kids get easily embarrassed at there age.
When all this is over…
Then… And when Biw comes home to me…
I promise to be a better father.
[thunder rumbles]
["Splash Out" continues playing softly]
Before Tle…
we had a younger daughter.
Then, one day, she got really sick.
It was terminal.
I never knew about your daughter.
My condolences.
At the time…
we didn't think we could recover.
Then we had Tle.
Our hearts were flooded with love again.
[poignant music playing]
We swore an oath.
We would keep him safe anyway we could.
But we have no control over this. Trust me, we're all trying.
I believe that. I believe that.
My wife, though…
[sighs]
[Biw] Hey, you're cheating!
What a noop. Two against one and you still lost everything.
-[Night] One more game? -[Adul] Sure.
-[Biw] Let's try again. Catch it. -[Mark coughing]
[Nick] Coach Eak,
we're really sorry.
We all forgot how dangerous it is in here.
Because you've protected us from danger.
So we let our guard down for a time.
I'm sorry I yelled at you.
I wasn't mad at you.
I'm not mad at any of you.
[poignant music playing]
I'm mad at myself.
I'm really sorry.
[voice quavers] I'm sorry for bringing you here
and putting you through all of this.
You don't deserve any of this. [sniffs]
You're just kids. You know, you should be playing pranks,
having fun, enjoying life,
and not worrying about being here.
None of this is your fault, Eak.
You didn't force anybody to be here.
We wanted to be here. All of us.
Although, I didn't want to…
[Eak chuckles softly]
…you never forced me to come with you, Eak.
I may not have forced you to be here…
but I led the way, and then you followed me.
I am the coach.
I am supposed to protect you.
If anything happened to any of you…
[Tle] You don't have to protect us anymore.
Because you taught us how to stay alive.
-[James] What's your name, kid? -Can you tell my friend here your name?
Uh, Boon-Nam.
[Aran] 'Boon-Nam' means good fortune.
He's a Wild Boar who was supposed to go into the cave with them,
but his mom called him home early.
All right, this is gonna be really weird,
but I'm gonna need you to put your hands together like this.
-[Aran] Cross your arms behind your back. -Well… will this help my friends?
[James] Yes, sir.
[suspenseful music playing]
[men giving instructions in Thai]
[suspenseful music continues]
[Rick] We need some sort of buoyancy for the legs.
It'd need to be something already in the cave. We can't take more things in.
[Rick] Yeah.
How about this?
[Boon-nam breathing erratically]
[Boon-nam yelling]
-Is it over? -Hey. It's okay, kid. You did really well.
-[Boon-nam] Where's my mom? -[James] You're okay.
Where did she go? I can't do it again. [crying]
[Harry] Okay, big breath in.
You gotta inhale, Mark.
-[Mark inhales deeply] -[Harry] And out.
And now breathe out.
[Mark coughing]
Okay. Once more.
[Adul] One more time.
[Mark inhales deeply]
[deep cough]
Okay. Okay. Thank you, young man.
You take it easy, okay? Thank you, Adul.
[Mark coughing]
Look, he's not great. He'll need treatment on the outside.
But generally, I can't believe how healthy you've kept them all in here.
I can't take much credit. They're tough.
Hey, Adul. Maybe he has a pet kangaroo or something.
Do you have a pet kangaroo?
[giggling] A kangaroo?
All Australians do.
They all have kangaroos!
-Everyone, really? -[Adul] Do you really?
[everyone laughing]
When do you plan to take them out?
They're still deciding that, I'm afraid.
[Bhak] I know they're doing their best,
but the sooner they make a decision, the better.
These kids are resilient, more than most adults I know,
but the stress of not knowing will wear anyone down eventually.
[boys laughing happily]
When I get out of here, I will ask for a kangaroo.
[boys laughing, discussing kangaroos]
[spiritual music playing]
[voice quavering] I pray for the courage to endure this life's trial.
But there's none to be found. [sobbing]
Mothers should never outlive their babies. [sobbing]
This…
This pain is excruciating.
I need help to stay strong for my baby boy.
But I find nothing.
[sobbing]
[monk, softly] Do you know the parable of Kisa Gotami?
[thunder rumbles ominously]
[Pim] How bad will it be, Noon?
[Noon] Stop asking me that! I'm trying to figure it out!
It will be bad!
It's almost 40 millimeters and still rising.
[cell phone buttons beeping]
[Noon] We've got to call it in!
-[buttons beeping] -[Noon] Damn it! It's not working.
[Pim] Are you kidding me?
How can we have such bad luck with satellites?
[thunder rumbling]
-[keys jingling] -Go.
[cell phone buttons beeping]
[tense music playing]
[Kiattisak] I understand clearly, right?
The hose isn't leaking,
and the air is flowing all the way through the system.
Your test really worked. You did it.
Yes, but this is a dry run. It works every time we try it out here.
But both times that we've tried it in chamber 1, it springs a leak.
The strength of the current and wear and tear of the rope.
This is only a test, sir.
The system works out here on dry land, but it always leaks inside the cave.
It's because of the extra water pressure.
Well, can you fix it or can't you?
Yes, sir. But we need more time.
More tests need to be conducted.
We need to be sure that when more flood and rain comes,
and it will, that our system can withstand the pressure.
Preparedness is key for when the next severe storm comes.
What do you think, Chet?
You, and you alone, are the only one who has dived in that cave.
Do you agree with the two of them?
Do you agree we need more time?
Or we have to run even more tests?
Yes, sir. We need more time.
But we will not fail.
Okay.
[Narongsak] There's nothing I can do unless you all sign the document.
They will never leave some of the boys in and bring some out.
It's too risky.
You either all take part…
or we're already beaten.
You asked us to come,
to sign away our sons' lives.
[somber silence]
Hey, where've you been?
I was worried about you.
Praying at the temple.
I was asked about Kisa Gotami.
[Sak] Kisa?
The parable.
The monk couldn't believe I hadn't heard of it.
[poignant music playing]
When her child died…
she was heartbroken.
People say she lost her mind with grief.
And so she goes to the Buddha, who tells her that
if she collects mustard seeds in the village from just one family
who has not experienced death,
then he will bring her child back from the dead.
You know, she goes to every single house,
one by one,
but everyone has lost someone they loved.
Whether it's a son,
a father,
an uncle,
an aunt,
or
a daughter.
[Phong's grandma] And she realized that
there is no house untouched by death.
And so Buddha welcomed her return to hear how she had done.
Aware now, she was wiser and humble.
She told others about her child.
Soothing her pain by sharing with us all.
I've already buried a daughter. [inhales shakily]
If there's a chance that signing this will save other children,
I will do it.
I'm willing to sign it.
I know that I'm not alone.
[inhales shakily]
[haunting music playing]
May I, sir?
[haunting music continues]
[parents mumbling sadly]
[Craig] They're gonna ask us as soon as we get in that tent.
[Harry] Course they are.
I know you wanna help. It's your nature. You're a bloody saint.
[Harry scoffs] Piss off, would you?
We both know that's why I'm here. To play devil on your shoulder.
If you go through with this and even one boy dies…
or a diver…
Agnes was bad enough, we lost a friend, but
she was an adult,
not some kid you drugged.
If you can't live with that for the rest of your life, don't say yes.
No one's gonna judge you for that.
[Narongsak] I have all the guardians' approval.
Do you have everything you need, then?
-Only one thing outstanding. -[John] And it's not insubstantial.
Whether or not Dr. Harris will go through with it.
What do you think?
Well, if he doesn't, then the boys have no chance of being rescued.
The way Boon-Nam was thrashing in the pool,
they'll panic at some point and kill their diver and themselves.
[John] He's right.
[Noon] Governor!
There's a storm coming.
One of the largest yet.
Nothing can hold it back. It's a tremendous amount of water.
[typing] We should be in the middle of the storm, by this time tomorrow.
Forty-eight hours from now, the pumps will most likely fail.
A new storm is coming, and the pumps won't hold.
[people murmuring]
If the pumps go, that's it for diving,
with or without Harry.
What are the other options?
We're out of options.
[somber silence]
If I am to do this,
I need to be in charge of my own patients' care.
-Everyone needs to sign off on that. -Okay. We will.
Okay.
I'm all in.
-[all] Yes! -[Rick] Okay!
Took you long enough.
[Kiattisak] My team has made significant progress.
[minister] What's this?
I appreciate the valiant efforts of your team,
but after speaking with Kiattisak, I'm inclined to agree
that a slow, steady, and safe approach is the way to go here.
We are out of time.
That is no longer possible.
There's no time to run the oxygen hose all the way through the cave.
Why? What's changed? Tell us.
Please, minister, we have to launch the operation right away.
Or we will never reach the kids.
Noon.
She has her boss on. Listen before we resume.
The same type of storm that trapped them is coming back.
It's going to be stronger than before.
It's coming off the Indian Ocean and picking up strength.
It won't just lock the boys and the SEALs inside the cave,
it may drown them altogether.
It will take months for the water to recede.
We'll have no idea what happened inside until then.
Listen. How can you be sure this storm will be so severe?
Hello, minister.
We had the foresight to install a weather station
in the mountains at Doi Pha Mee.
I can confirm.
Minister, we all wanted the safest route.
In fact, I always hoped your plan would win out in the end.
I don't want to see those boys suffer the way Petty Officer Sam did.
That kind of grief,
probably would destroy me.
But the circumstances have shifted again.
We are working at the whim of forces greater than us.
We can either bend
or break.
[minister sighs]
What is your idea?
[Narongsak] Master Sergeant, please.
We have a series of complex problems
we've broken down into manageable and surmountable chunks.
[poignant Thai music playing]
What kind of drugs will you use?
[Harry] Uh, Ketamine for sedation.
I'll administer that myself.
And once the diver and boy have gone through the first sump into chamber 8,
my colleague Craig will be waiting to assess the boy and his breathing.
All things going well, we will proceed with the next boy.
What do you estimate is the chance of success?
Uh…
Minister.
It's impossible to guarantee 100% success.
We have to let go of our grief, our desperation for complete success.
We are all grieving.
We are all haunted by Ja Sam's death.
But we have to take a risk again.
Seventy-five percent.
Fifty percent.
Thirty percent.
We will lose two-thirds,
and most likely it's going to be the smallest kids that won't make it.
[poignant Thai music continues]
If we do nothing,
the chance of death is…
[Kiattisak] …close to 100%.
I'll be the first to bend.
At the very least,
these families
deserve to bury their sons.
We should not let them drown in the cave.
Either way, I don't like it, but this is the plan.
[exhales deeply]
Minister.
Six days ago,
I asked the team here to believe in these boys.
To see this through.
Even though for ten days the boys had no food or water.
At that moment, a lot of people around here
believed that those boys could not have survived.
But they still live.
[music brightens]
They will survive this also.
Their parents and guardians have signed the release for the dive
despite knowing the risks involved.
Those brave kids have trusted all of us.
[voice quavers] We must have trust in ourselves so they can survive this.
[poignant music continues]
[minister inhales and exhales deeply]
You, you, you, you, and you,
please join me.
[phone rings]
Hello, sir. I have something you need to hear.
Yes.
Repeat what you just said.
All of it.
[dissonant music playing]
[button clicks]
This is Master Sergeant James Nichols of United States Air Force.
I have my commanding officer, Major Charles Hensen,
Governor Narongsak, Admiral Appakorn,
and Dr. Richard Harris here with me.
Here is the mission brief.
We have a series of complex problems
we've broken down into manageable and surmountable chunks.
-[Craig] He's gonna send us home… -[door opens]
…so maybe that was it.
It's a green light.
[tense music playing]
Our mission to rescue the Wild Boars
begins now.
[dramatic drums play]
[dramatic music playing]