[water dripping]
[Nick] How are we gonna get out? The water didn't go down overnight.
-Look at the water level. -[Phong] It's slippery.
-[Nick] Look out! -[Tee] What do we do now?
[Eak] Let me see.
[Tee] What do we do now?
This is why you bring a rope.
-Titan, hold this? -[Titan] Okay.
[Tee] Here. Take this.
Hold this.
I'll swim under and tie off on the other side.
And you pull yourselves through on the rope. All right?
[boys agreeing]
[unsettling music playing]
Let's go, then.
[music becoming more unsettling]
[inhales deeply]
-[dull thud] -[groans]
-[Tee] He's taking too long. -[Night] Yeah, something's wrong.
Stop it, Night. Don't be a chicken. Eak knows what he's doing.
-[dull thud] -[Eak groans]
[foreboding music playing]
[disquieting music playing]
[wails]
[inaudible]
-[Tee] You're right. Something's wrong! -[boys shouting]
[dramatic music playing]
[Tee] Mark, take it!
[Titan] There's Eak!
[all] Eak!
-[Titan] Eak, please! -[Adul] Pull him out. How is he?
-[Adul] Bring him up. -[Titan] Is he okay?
[Tee] Lay him down. Eak!
[Eak coughing]
-[Tee] Eak! -[Tle] Hey. Wait. Sit up.
[Tee] Are you okay?
[Eak coughing]
Eak, um…
does this mean we're trapped in here?
[Eak gasping]
We just have to wait a little longer. Seriously.
[Titan] We've been here all night. I'm hungry.
Think of the story you'll be able to tell your parents, Titan.
[Titan] Hmm. If they don't kill me first.
[Eak exhaling] Let's go.
Dom. Cheer us up with a song, eh?
-Help us relax. -[Titan] Good idea.
-[Tee] Anything but Maroon 5. -[Dom] Bunch of haters. All of you.
Let's go.
[Dom in Thai] ♪ Just go to sleep He'll be back tomorrow ♪
[boys shouting at Dom]
[Phong] Which song is that?
[all, in Thai] ♪ Time will clarify everything ♪
[echoing giggles and laughter]
[dramatic orchestral music playing]
[traditional Thai music playing]
[reporters clamoring]
[ranger 1] Good day, Governor. We're very glad you're here.
Thank you for honoring us with your time.
You-- You will find us a little shorthanded, I'm afraid.
[ranger 2] Governor, we've already prepared some sandbags, but we…
[Narongsak] Are those their names?
[ranger 1] Yes. There were 11 bikes and 1 motorbike.
All the boys' families have been contacted.
Are their parents here?
[ranger 1] They're…
Uh-- They…
The families are here. I'm gonna show you where. Please, sir.
-[ranger chuckles] -[Pim] VIP One.
-This way, Governor. [snorts] -[Pim] This way.
-[reporters] Governor! -[Pim] This way, sir.
[reporter 1] What's being done to rescue them?
[Narongsak] I have nothing to tell you right now.
[reporter 2] Who did you put in charge of the search?
[reporters] Governor! Governor!
Cordon them closer to the road. Now.
Yes, Governor. I'll have Pim take care of the problem.
You take care of that.
You'll set up the command tent. Whatever you can find.
Radios, communication equipment, maps, everything. Am I clear?
-Yes, Governor. -And don't set it up too far.
Keep it all very close to this spot.
Yes, Governor.
-Governor. Just follow this trail. -[Narongsak] Mm-hmm.
The boys' parents are at the shrine up there.
[inhales deeply] Okay.
[traditional Thai music playing]
[Nop] I trust Eak.
I know he'll take care of all the boys as if they were his children.
"As if." They're not his children!
Titan chose to go in that cave instead of coming home.
It's not Coach Eak's fault, is it now?
Then it's my fault if our boy's in a cave?
It's you who said that. Not me, right?
[Nop] The governor's here. Governor.
-[all] Hello. -[Narongsak] Hello.
I'm sorry that these boys have caused you problems.
Don't even say that.
I have two kids, you know.
I will stay with you here until your kids are safe again, yeah.
[all] Thank you.
-[woman 1] Sorry, Governor. -[woman 2] Thank you.
The village seer said that the kids have offended the spirits of the cave,
and we have to beg for their forgiveness.
Would you come and pray with us now?
I believe more in science than in faith.
[parents muttering quietly]
I may not believe in spirits, but I respect them.
[spiritual music playing]È
[ghostly screech]
[Biw softly] Shh! I heard something.
[Phong] What did you hear? I bet it was a ghost.
[Biw] Yes! Maybe the princess is coming for us!
[Phong] Don't say that! The princess can't be mad at us.
[fart sound]
[boys sniffing]
[groans] Hey, who ate eggs yesterday?
-Uh, I did. I did. -You did!
[boys laughing, chattering]
-[Mix] Ew! -[Biw] It stinks so bad.
-[Mix] Hey, Eak. -[Tee] It's Eak! Hey, Eak.
Please, tell us we can go out?
Well, not all the way. But I'm going to try the rope again.
You all remain here while Tee, Note, and Night, come with me.
Wait here.
Eak, I don't think Mark's feeling well.
No, I'm not sick. Just hungry and cold, like all of you, right?
[boys murmuring]
Tee, bring Biw here.
[boys talking]
I'm okay, Eak. Really. I'm okay.
Oh, I know you are.
Because I know the smallest boy is the strongest one.
-You mean it? -[Eak] Sure!
I once was the smallest one.
You'll be fine, you know.
We just need to warm you up. Okay?
Give Mark that extra shirt.
Seriously? But I'm cold too.
[Biw tuts, sighs]
[sighs] All right.
Anyway, it was too tight on my muscles.
[all chuckling]
I don't see any.
Oh! You're not that sick after all.
I'll help you.
You can go ahead.
Don't wait for me.
This happens sometimes when I don't eat a lot.
It's not a big deal.
We'll leave together, Mark.
Or we don't leave at all. Got it?
-Okay? -Yeah.
[thunder rumbles]
-[knocks on door] -Namhom, are you awake?
We're going to be late for work because of this rain.
Stop daydreaming, you.
Last night, Mark didn't come home. He doesn't answer his phone either.
He's with his friends, for sure.
Well, since we left Tachileik, he doesn't have any friends at all.
I was so happy, you know,
when he said he was going to soccer practice.
What did you say?
I saw the news on Ta Mon's Facebook earlier.
I'm not sure it's the same team.
What happened tonight?
[reporter] Park officials have confirmed that a local soccer team, the Wild Boars,
went missing in the Tham Luang cave last night.
You need to lend me your scooter.
-But there'll be a lot of police there. -[Namhom] Give me the keys now!
Thanks.
Excuse me, sir. Officer!
Sir, excuse me.
Please, I'd like to talk to someone about my son.
I believe he's inside that cave.
-All right. What's his name? -Mongkol Bunpiam. "Mark."
No. He's not on the list. Have you been contacted about it?
-I haven't. But when I heard-- -He's probably with a girl somewhere.
Officer, please!
-[officer] Do not pass the gate! -Wait. Listen to me. Please!
Just tell us what's going on! Please!
[man] I don't understand what's taking so long with these rangers, Nop.
Relax. Look. They're waiting for him.
He's like an amateur mapmaker. Out here all the time.
Most importantly, no one knows Tham Luang better than him.
Wait here. I'm sure he'll know what to do.
What do I do, then?
They think I'll stay here while my son dies in that cave?
Right now, we can only pray that the spirits stop the rain,
making the water level drop.
You sound like my wife.
Look, Coach, superstition doesn't save drowning boys, all right!
[Narongsak] The rangers tell me you are a hobbyist.
You've been exploring the cave during the dry season for years.
Please, tell me. What do you know about Tham Luang?
She's…
Well, Governor, Tham Luang is a monster.
The cave runs into the mountain due west towards Myanmar several miles.
There's multiple chambers, caverns all different sizes
that open and then close down again to narrow tunnels,
just wide enough to get your shoulders through.
We've assembled a group of local rescue workers to go in.
[man] I wanna volunteer.
-Is your son in there? -Yes, he is.
Ekkarat Wongsukchan. We call him "Biw."
Can you swim, mister?
Now, we start in chamber 1.
If the sump connecting chambers 1 and 2 hasn't completely flooded yet,
it will soon.
Once these narrow passages are filled with water,
our only option will be to swim.
If the boys are alive, then they'll be in a dry chamber surrounded by water.
Water is our enemy here. It's the evil in the monster.
[wind whistling]
[loud rumbling]
-Is that a quake? -[Tle] I felt it too.
[Phong] What was it?
-[Tle] What's going on? -[Phong] You hear that?
[rumbling getting louder]
[rumbling getting even louder]
[Tle] Water! Coach!
[foreboding music playing]
Tee, flash flood! Lead them out!
Hurry! We gotta go! The tunnel to Pattaya will flood!
[Eak shouting]
[boys screaming]
[Eak] Hold on. The flashlight!
[boys yelling]
[Eak] Let's go!
[boys shouting]
[Eak] Keep moving!
[Mix screams]
[Eak] Help your team!
-[Adul] Come on, Dom! -[Dom] I'm not gonna make it.
[Adul] Come on! Let's go.
[Eak] Move! Keep moving!
[Mix] Go! Go! Move it! Hurry up!
I'm scared! I'm not gonna make it!
[Adul] Faster! Faster!
[Eak] Pattaya's just beyond this sump, Biw!
Breathe. Please believe this is gonna work out, all right?
Right now, go. I'll be with Mark, okay? Biw!
You have to hold onto Dom.
Mark, take a deep breath.
[Narongsak] You think they drowned?
I think so.
I don't know about your boys,
but my boy, Biw,
he can't swim.
Until they rescue those boys, I'm going to make offerings.
[Biw's dad] It's not possible! Don't you get it?
Come on.
Come up and pray.
If we have any chance of getting our sons back,
we need to pray to every single one of the spirits
and beg them to help our children.
-[Titan's mom crying] -[Titan's dad] They're going to find them.
Let's pray. Come on. The governor will be able to help us.
This is a test. We've done something to offend the spirits.
Your poor boy.
Adul, as I recall, is his name.
Are you Christian?
[Adul's dad] We do not believe that we can buy God's mercy,
but I know our congregation is reciting prayers for him.
As well as for all the others.
Every day.
Chamber 3 was as far as we made it before the water forced us back out.
This is chambers 4, 5, and 6.
1.6 miles at least, buried under 600 meters of limestone.
Then you hit Sam Yak. That's the T-junction.
That's where the path splits. They could’ve gone either way.
If they hung a right at the Monk’s Series, that’s where the water’s flooding from.
If they went that way, then they
almost certainly drowned.
If they went the other way, left at the T-junction?
To Pattaya? Oh, they'd have a better chance.
You’re telling me there’s a huge beach inside these mountains?
Not exactly paradise but it’s elevated.
It's a big sandy hill that-- Dropping down into a pool of water.
And we can't reach there without scuba gear?
We're gonna need more than air tanks and a diving certificate.
The current in these sumps is fast. It's filled with silt. You can barely see.
We're gonna need extremely fit divers.
Then, who?
Navy SEALs?
Sure.
[chuckles] Sure! That'd be great.
[Kiattisak] It's probably nothing.
Just kids being kids, off on an adventure.
Let the local authorities handle this.
You don't want to risk losing face over some merest problems.
You're above this.
Please, sir. The people here aren't as experienced as I am.
They've already said they're going to transfer me,
what else could they do to me?
Are you sure you really want to do this?
You're asking me to call for the most elite special forces we have,
who are a little more than focused on their annual exams right now.
Yeah.
Those servicemen,
they are not your friends.
At the end of the day, they will not lose face for you.
Or anybody else.
Imagine, if they help you
and the situation starts to go bad out there.
Think about their reputation.
And your reputation.
Remember…
when you first sent me here,
you said to me, "It's hard for people in the capital
to understand what's happening out in the country."
You told me to put my faith in the men on the ground.
Remember that?
Okay.
I will allow it.
But you'd better hope those boys are still alive.
[phone clicks]
[Eak and Mark gasping desperately]
[Note shouting] Damn it! How is anyone ever gonna find us here?
[Mix] I'm too young to die!
-[Mark gasping] -Okay. Okay now.
[Mark gasping]
[Titan] I'm only 11! I got a long life to live!
-[Eak] It's okay. It's all right, Mark. -[Mark crying]
[Night] It's my birthday. I don't care that my mom bought a SpongeBob cake!
I just don't want her to eat it without me!
[boys crying]
[Nick] Are your parents gonna eat it without you? [sobbing]
[all crying and groaning]
[Biw] Hey. Come on. Hey.
[Phong] Get off! Leave me alone, Biw!
-[Biw softly] Hey. -[Eak] Let me.
-Phong. Phong. Phong! -[Phong] Go away!
Settle down. That's enough!
We're all standing here in our graves!
No one will ever find us!
[solemn silence]
Nobody is dying here, Phong!
No one will die in here!
[crossly] Now, everyone, sit down!
And you too, Phong!
We can get scared. That's fine. But don't panic.
[Phong sobbing]
I'm gonna get you home, okay?
[wails]
[man echoing] Eak.
At the monastery, when I was growing up,
whenever I was upset,
the monks would make me meditate with them.
I didn't wanna do it.
But you know what?
They were right.
If we meditate,
we'll have something to focus on.
It'll stop you from freaking out like this.
When our minds are calm,
we can overcome fear.
[Adul sobbing]
[gently] Adul. Adul?
Let's meditate.
You don't need to be a Buddhist to meditate.
Do you wanna try?
[Adul breathing rapidly]
Let's try, okay?
[softly] Close your eyes. Close your eyes.
Good. Take a deep breath.
[Adul breathes more slowly]
[Eak] Good.
Everyone, let's try it.
Let's try, Tee.
Mark, let's try.
Now focus on the tip of your nose.
Okay, and inhale Lord.
Exhale Buddha.
And inhale Lord.
[boys sobbing]
[Eak] Exhale Buddha.
[chanting] Sabbe Satta!
Whatever living beings there may be,
whether they are weak or strong,
omitting none, the great or the mighty,
the seen and the unseen,
may all beings be at ease.
[silence]
[Namhom] I've looked everywhere. He wouldn't run away. He's not a bad boy.
[officer 1] Could be more mischievous than you think.
Please. His coach would know him. Please.
[officer 2] Hey! He already told you, you don't belong here.
It's better that your son's not here.
We'd better be prepared.
Now the story's on the news, we're gonna see many more like her.
You're not from around here. Your accent sounds foreign.
Please. I wouldn't lie to you, sir.
He went missing. He was-- He was with the Wild Boars--
[officer 2] You can get in trouble for falsely reporting a missing child.
-Show me your papers. -[Namhom] But…
-Coach Nop! Coach Nop! -[officer 2] Hey! Stop!
-[Namhom] Coach Nop! -[officer 2] You need to calm down!
Stop it! I could have you deported, you know?
Governor.
What's going on?
[officer 1] Sir, this woman says her son’s in the cave.
But all the children and guardians are accounted for.
Please, sir. Please believe me. I know my son's in there.
Coach, my son. I beg you.
You know my son Mark, Mongkol Bunpiam.
Okay, yeah. I know him.
But I didn't see Mark at the field yesterday.
Mark hasn't come to practice for a while.
[voice cracking] No.
I've come up
with no Thai papers.
With no documents at all.
I am Tai Yai. I am from Kengtung.
Why should I risk everything to come if I didn't believe my son's in that cave?
Unless I thought he was really here. [sobbing]
Okay, she stays. Until we're certain how many kids are stuck inside.
[Nop] Namhom. Namhom! Namhom!
-Phong. Phong. -[Phong groaning] What?
What is it?
What is it? Why-- Why you waking me up?
[Eak] Come here.
[Phong] What's going on? What?
What's with you?
Tee. If we go far enough, we can connect to Myanmar and leave here.
You'll be in charge while I'm gone, okay?
-Make sure they don't pull any pranks. -Okay. [moans]
[Phong] What's going on?
Phong, follow me.
[high-pitched squeaking]
[Phong] What's that sound? Are there animals in here?
[squeaking continues]
[Eak] Wow.
[Biw moaning]
Mom.
[groaning] We're out of Lactasoy.
[Eak chuckles]
Let's go. We need to explore.
[Phong] You think there's really a way out?
[Eak] The path to the right is steep.
But it's safer from the water.
There is a way out of here.
Phong.
Slow down, Phong.
You doing okay?
Phong?
[loud crunch]
[groans]
[Phong] Eak!
Phong.
Phong!
[Phong weeping]
[Phong sobbing desperately]
[Phong] You were wrong! There's no way out!
[shouting] How can you be so calm?
You know we're stuck in here now!
I know there are people out there looking for us right now.
[sobbing] Nobody is looking for me.
[Phong sobbing]
Phong.
I only have my grandmother.
Before I left yesterday,
I fought with her really badly.
She's trying to send me to my uncle's in Chiang Mai.
[sobbing] I was so mad at her, I didn't tell her where I was going.
I even thought, "Maybe I won't come home."
"So she can see… how much she needs me."
[voice breaking] I didn't-- I didn't mean for this to happen.
I don't want this! [sobbing]
Phong, listen to me.
I'll tell you something.
All I had was my dad.
[muffled Buddhist chanting]
[distant gong rings out]
But then he died.
My uncle said he was taking me to the monastery for…
better education.
It was so I could have a better life, you know?
But it didn't feel that way at first.
Being sent away is never easy.
It really hurts.
But you are gonna keep going.
[Phong sniffs]
And you will survive this.
[breathes shakily]
Better?
Yeah. [chuckles]
What?
Biw sucked a dude's toe.
Thought it was Lactasoy. [laughs]
-Never gonna let him forget that. -[Phong] Never.
That's crazy.
Now what do we do?
[Eak] Be careful. It's slippery.
[Phong] Huh?
-Eak! Wait! -[Eak] Hmm?
[Phong] Look.
Over here. We missed it on the way in.
Looks like some kind of writing on the wall.
You see what I see?
[shouts] Yeah!
[dramatic music playing]
[man 1] Guys, the military's here!
-They're here to help us! -[man 2] It'll be okay. That's them.
What do my men need to know before they go into the cave?
Before we strap on scuba gear
and things escalate, we need to take a wider view.
The boys' lives are at risk.
But there are about to be others.
Yours.
-You brought a doctor with you? -Dr. Bhak is a SEAL.
A combat medic and certified expert in extreme health crises.
The boys have been inside since Saturday afternoon.
We have no idea how much food or water,
if any, they have with them.
Given the obvious circumstance, I’d say it’s generally good news.
We know they're young. They're soccer players.
So we know that they are fit.
As long as they’re not injured or infected with something,
they should be in good shape.
A few days without food is unpleasant but not deadly.
[clears throat] Okay. Well, uh,
as far as I know, there’s only one way in and one way out.
[Titan] This way out?
No way.
[Eak] Imagine a mountain, like a pyramid.
Wide bottom, narrow top. Phong and I already checked it out.
If we dig up that way,
we'll reach the top in about five to ten meters.
No way.
[Eak] Well, see for yourself.
Look at all this rough rock. You can see that it caved in.
If we all dig together, we'll probably climb out into the middle of a field.
Come on, guys. Who's gonna help us dig?
I can help out with the digging.
All right. Mark's gonna help.
Anybody else?
[silence]
[Eak] I know you're hungry. I won't tell you to not think about food.
I can tell you that it's easier to go without food than you might think.
-I only ate one meal a day for ten years. -[Titan] Yeah, you were a monk then.
[Eak] You think monks never get hungry?
At first, the hunger was so bad I didn't think I'd ever survive.
But one day, a monk told me to drink water.
So I drank. And I drank a lot of water.
There. We can drink from here because it's filtered
through the stones,
Try to imagine you're eating KFC.
[chuckles] So, who wants to go first?
No one?
Hey. You go first, Titan. You're small but you got a big mouth.
[Titan] Hmm.
-Go on. -[Eak] It's decided.
[Titan] Um, I don't know.
[Tee] Really?
[all] Drink it!
[Titan sighs]
-[Titan groans] -[Eak] How is it?
It tastes like my grandma's cooking.
[all laughing]
-[Night] I'll try it now. -[Note] I'm next!
[boys calling out]
[Eak] Try it.
-[Phong] Drink it. -[Mark] Does it taste good?
[Night] Yeah, it does. Tastes great.
-[Phong] It really does! -[Night] Tastes weird.
-[Eak] Tee. -[Phong] I want more.
[boys continue chattering]
Organize everyone into groups, just like on the soccer field.
We'll each take turns.
And start saving flashlights for digging only.
Do you really think that's the way out?
I don't wanna take a chance if it's not.
I think it's worth a try. Don't you?
[phone rings]
TMD. Noon. Can I help you?
Hello, it's Pim.
We spoke yesterday. -Hi, Pim.
I saw the local news report online.
Have you been able to find the soccer players yet?
Not yet. But the rescue team is actively working on it.
The governor would like weather reports every hour. Is that possible?
Yeah, sure. If you need anything else, just call.
Thank you so much.
-[Noon] Odd, sir. -[Odd] Hmm?
The governor in Chiang Rai wants reports hourly.
[Odd] Hmm.
Yeah. Call everyone back here, and set up a meeting.
Wish you luck.
Um, I'm taking this as an actual command.
[Odd] Mm-hmm.
Everyone ready?
[Vern] Chamber 3 is fail-safe.
The boys have to be beyond chamber 3.
[Bhak] Hello everyone. Make way, please.
[parents talking excitedly]
Our son will be fine.
[Vern] You have to imagine that every raindrop that falls is an added risk.
The more it rains, the worse it gets.
And it's all flowing into that cave.
If the current's strong enough coming off the T-junction,
it’ll be kicking like a mule.
So you’ll need all your strength for the next sump.
Go.
[Vern] Not only is it narrow, but the turns are sharper.
There are more alleys. Most of all, stay in your lane.
Don't wander into the alleys or you’ll get lost
and deplete your oxygen.
Watch your reserves.
Every millimeter forward will be a fight.
[diver gasps]
[Vern] It's an underwater battle.
Good luck.
[Phong] Can you move it?
[groans]
[Eak] Not on my own.
Let's try again. Now.
[Phong] Come on, guys.
[Appakorn] The situation is more complicated
than we initially thought it was.
But we'll try again tomorrow.
[all grunting]
[all grunting, groaning]
-[Phong] Oh my God! -[boys grunt in frustration]
-[Night] That was tiring. -[Mark] Damn it!
[Eak sighs]
[gasps]
[dull thud]
[diver breathing erratically]
-[man 1] They're coming. -[man 2] This way.
[people talking expectantly]
[solemn silence]
[somber music playing]
[people muttering worriedly]
[Narongsak] The boys have been inside for four days,
and we haven't made any progress.
They don't have many more days.
I will not be reckless with my men.
We will move as fast as it is safe to.
I'm not asking for recklessness.
Nor am I questioning your system.
Systems save lives.
But we need to change tactics.
We haven't even made it to chamber 4.
I’m open to ideas.
I think we need specialists.
You are the specialists.
There’s no one better at underwater diving than Navy SEALs.
I’m a doctor, but I’m not a surgeon.
Can I perform surgery if I have to?
Sure. But you wouldn't want me to because that's not my specialty.
I put myself on the line
with the ministers in Bangkok to get you all here.
[yells] Now you're saying you cannot do it!
[Chet] Governor,
we’re SEALs.
We’re trained for combat diving.
Beachheads, limpet mines, fast attack boats.
But here, we have to learn as we go.
We've never done this before.
Okay.
Then who has?
[Vern] Governor. I have an idea.
First, you wanted Navy SEALs.
[angrily] And now, I just heard from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
that you have divers from half a dozen other countries coming in?
[shouting] Have you lost your mind?
It's been four days.
The doctor's saying that they're beginning to starve.
Would you rather let the boys die in the cave, huh?
I'd rather you consider they may not be alive in there
before you make foreigners aware of our predicament.
There's no coming back from this now.
People might think you're doing this to save face.
But you can't save face
for an entire government, the whole of Thailand.
[unheard dialogue]
[Kiattisak] If it doesn't work out, no one will touch you.
You'll be lucky to just never work again.
No second chances here.
Don't fail.
-[phone clicks loudly] -[inhales deeply]
[Mix] At least no one will die of boredom from my dad telling that story
about how his friend got trapped in a cave ever again.
Now he can talk about how his son got trapped with his team.
-[Note chuckles] -Wanna hamburger?
-[Tle] Yeah. I do. -Here.
-Hey, I want pork. -[Mix] Just a minute.
-[Tle] Mix. -Huh?
-You forgot the sauce. -Oh really?
-Where's your appetite, man? -[Tle chuckles]
-[Tle] You. -Don't be picky.
[Tee] Shift change! Note, you're up.
-[Note sighs] -[Tee] Go.
-I'm waiting for my pork. -[Tee] You'll have to take it home.
-Go. -[Note] You're such a spoilsport.
-Is my grilled pork ready? -Sure.
-[Note] Thank you. -[Tee] Let's go.
[Note] You're always interrupting my meal, Tee.
Tle. Tle.
[Tle] Huh?
Hey, it's your turn. How long do you think before he realizes it?
Oh, man, I don't know. He'll be pretty pissed off.
-At you! -[laughs] Oh yeah.
If anyone can get those boys out, it's these guys.
They've come from, uh, Finland, Canada, Ukraine by way of Cyprus,
oh, and my first love, the United Kingdom.
Rick Stanton and John Volanthen, leaders of the pack.
Thank you for coming all this way.
And so quickly.
The SEALs can help you with the scuba gear and anything you need.
Oh, uh, we appreciate that, but, uh, we only dive with our own gear.
You think your gear is better than my SEALs gear?
We find the gear that open water divers use
doesn't work for caves.
We tuck our air tanks here, under the arm,
on the side, so we're not bumping the ceiling.
Uh, water-light helmets,
floats, doesn't sink, and protects your head from stalactites.
The mask is secured underneath.
What is that?
-Oh, that's, uh, that's my wing. -Your what?
It's a buoyancy device I fashioned myself,
uh, out of an inner tube of a motorbike tire.
Works a treat.
-Doesn't it, John? -It's an inflatable ballast.
Keeps you level in the water.
So you're not constantly bumping into the stalagmites on the floor,
which are very sharp and will cut you and your suit up.
All these will enable you to make forward progress?
[John] Only way that's possible in the silt water…
Only way you have a chance in the current is to lay the guideline.
From the first chamber to as far as it takes to find them.
Now, the guideline is like
Ariadne's thread to Theseus in the labyrinth of the Minotaur.
[Vern snickers]
Without it, we're all blind.
We lose time and oxygen searching out the blind alleys.
And we have to relearn the route every time.
So, instead, we secure it,
tying glow sticks on for visibility.
And the next man comes along, adds to it.
What else? What else do you need from us?
Rope. And lots of it.
I'll find you the rope. Get prepared to dive.
[dramatic music playing]
[Appakorn] We must move safely but urgently.
The foreign divers will lay down the guideline
while we pre-position supplies in each chamber.
In the event you find the boys, I'm issuing you all extra gel packs.
Why bother with this, huh?
The kids are probably already dead.
[Night's dad shouting] Night! Please! Come home!
[Tle's dad shouting] Tle! It's me! Dad!
We may not be there to help find them,
but we can have faith.
It's the best we can do right now.
The boys' bodies are now entering ketosis,
the state of burning all their fat stores.
Their bodies are now starting to eat their own muscles to stay alive.
Whatever strength they have, they'll be fighting to keep.
[Night's dad shouting] Please come back home!
Night!
Please! Let's go home together!
[Bhak] If they have a clean source of water at all,
they might have a day or two left.
And as the neuro and limbic systems start to malfunction,
they will have hallucinations.
[female voice echoing] Biw. Biw.
[Biw] Princess?
[Tle's dad shouting] Tle! My son!
[Night's dad shouting] Daddy's waiting for you!
[Bhak] The real danger now is that they're in a chamber that's too small.
They've depleted their oxygen levels to toxic.
Dioxide buildup in the lungs will eventually cause hypoxia,
which means their hearts could stop.
Eight days.
They'll start to have motor muscle trouble now
if they can still move at all.
And, in addition to hallucinations,
their internal organs are starting to lose function.
The strain is now affecting their nervous systems.
They may not know it yet…
but they are dying.
[Adul humming]
[Mark coughing]
[Eak] Titan, how are the others?
[Titan] All too weak to get up except me.
[Phong panting]
-Hey, take a break now. -[Phong] Yeah. Yeah.
Go get some water.
[Phong weakly] Yeah. [groans softly]
[boys groaning, sighing]
[Titan grunts]
[Titan] Aren't you coming?
I'm gonna dig a little bit more.
[Titan] You need rest too, Eak.
[Eak exhales deeply]
I've told you about my brother, right?
My name, Eakaphon…
mixes both of our names together.
But he had leukemia.
And I watched him die.
[poignant music playing]
My life changed after that.
My mother died.
My father died.
Right now, Mark isn't doing very well.
[voice breaks] You guys are starving.
But I won't lose my family again.
[stones clacking]
[earth scraping]
[Eak grunting softly]
[foreboding music plays]
[thunder rumbling]
[gentle music playing]
[Narongsak] The rain is getting worse.
And so are the water currents. It's more dangerous for our divers too.
Is there any chance we find them alive?
It's been almost nine days without clean water and food.
Sir, we can't lose hope.
I'm sorry, sir.
Pull back the divers and my team.
I can't risk more men.
[poignant music playing]
[Eak sniffles]
[breathes shakily]
[mouthing prayer]
Please don't.
I don't even know how I ended up here.
Maybe you were led to be together with me here.
Our instincts are good guides.
We've met before.
You told me your son is in the cave, right?
His name is Mark.
Mark.
You must let me thank you.
This is from the monks.
Midnight meditation?
I can't sleep, like you.
It's a Shan tradition.
Sand for each boy.
Twelve in total.
And one for Coach Eak.
Thirteen.
Yes.
For me, faith is all that matters.
I don't have money.
I don't have power.
I only have faith.
Faith that my son is in there.
And I'm choosing…
to have faith that you will find him.
If I wait for him here,
that you will bring my Mark back.
[Namhom sobs]
What is it you believe?
I believe in science.
But now, science has failed me.
[thunder rumbles]
Mother nature is in the way.
I wonder if I really have offended the gods?
I bowed my head to pray!
But I couldn't bring myself to believe.
[Namhom] It's a big ask
for a man of science to give up
and surrender to belief.
I'm not proud to admit it…
I'm going to need a miracle here.
[poignant music playing]
So does your son, in there.
[poignant music continues]
[people talking excitedly]
[muffled chanting]
[crickets chirping]
[phone rings]
-Ranger Pim speaking. -[Odd] We think we've caught a break.
What are we talking here?
In millimeters?
How much of a break?
[silence over telephone]
I want Noon now.
[people softly gasping]
Hi, Pim. It's Noon.
Trust me. It's not going to rain.
[Pim] They're saying no rain until at least noon.
Probably a little longer.
I think we should go for it.
The odds are nearly impossible.
But we've all seen statistics be wrong before.
We've all seen the power of the mind overcome the power of the body.
We all have doubts.
We all have a crisis of faith.
We've all had days of rain that never end.
But the rain ended!
It wasn't supposed to.
But it wasn't supposed to start when the boys entered the cave either.
Faith has a way of dealing us a hand
that we don't always want.
Challenges we could do without. But challenges can be opportunities.
Maybe you don't believe you have an opportunity here.
Or maybe you believe it has passed us by already.
Maybe you believe the boys died on the first day.
Or the third day.
Drowned in water or got sick or starved.
But I've seen a shrine that bloomed in the jungle,
filled with offerings.
I've seen Buddhists,
Christians, and animists,
heads bowed in prayer.
I've even bowed my own.
Whatever you believe,
believe in these boys.
[John] What is it?
[distant muffled voices]
[muffled voices continue]
[weakly] Biw.
Biw. [sighs]
[Biw, sleepily] If it's a ghost, just ignore it.
-[Rick] W-- Watch your step. -[Adul] It's coming from the water.
-[muffled voices continue] -They sound foreign.
[Biw moaning]
[voices get louder]
Foreign ghosts?
-[John] Which direction do you think? -[Rick] Definitely not behind us.
I don't believe in ghosts.
[Adul shouting] Hello?
Hello?
Hey! Come here! Quick!
[John] Are you a Wild Boar?
-[Adul] English? -[Rick] Yes. [laughs]
-[Adul] You speak English? -[Rick] Yes!
-[Adul] Where are you from? -[Rick] The UK!
[John] This is brilliant.
[Titan] Where are my parents? Is there anything to eat?
-[Adul] Are there rangers outside? -[Tle] Is my mom mad at me?
[Tee] Adul, what did he say?
[Tle] What's going on?
Did you get lost?
[Rick laughing] No.
We're not lost. You're lost. We've been trying to find you.
Say your names.
Here.
I'm Adul.
Titan.
Phong.
Mix.
Night.
Dom.
Biw.
Tle.
Nick.
Note.
I'm Tee. And this is, um…
I'm Mark.
Mark.
[inaudible dialogue]
[poignant music playing]
LIST OF MISSING PEOPLE
13. MONGKOL
[Rick chuckling] Twelve of you! How is this possible?
[John] Where is your coach? I-- Is he…
Did he survive?
[Rick] Coach. [chuckles]
We've been searching for you for ten days.
[John] We are so glad to find you safe.
We thought you were dead.
How is this possible?
He made us dig.
On a strict schedule.
He taught us to fill our bellies with fresh water.
He taught us to meditate
to conserve our strength,
to focus our minds, and calm us.
And to save your oxygen.
Faith. He never gave up.
[John] This… It… [voice quavers] is simply extraordinary, Coach.
You should be proud for what you have done.
[breathes shakily] What will happen to us now?
[moans softly]
I don't know.
But you saved these boys.
Now it's up to all of us
to rescue them.
[rousing music playing]