The Northern BC Cave Club based in Prince George is commending the heroism the world witnessed in Thailand earlier this week.
A dozen young boys, aged 11 to 16, and their 25-year-old soccer coach were safely rescued from a tight, water-filled crevasse after being stuck for more than two weeks.
Trent Blair is the President of the Cave Club, and also the Northern Regional Director for the Alberta/BC Cave Rescue team.
He explains there have been four successful cave rescue missions across the province in recent years, including one close to PG.
“It happened just Northeast of here in the Fang Caves, we had a fellow that was injured and we had cavers and personnel that came from all over our region to assist with that. We were able to get him out safely and got them off the mountain. It’s just a really small community, and it’s pretty amazing to see the closeness of all these people that come together and work together for one common goal.”
Blair says the amount of caves in BC is catching more interest year after year, but explorers need to be more aware.
He adds training to be a cave diver requires rigorous training that requires a level of experience involving dangerous scenarios.
“When we get to the next level [of training], all those same passages are completely flooded. Imagine caving with little breathing apparatus, going through a tight squeeze with mud, and all you can see is the front of your mask. You blow your bubbles out and you don’t know which way is up and you don’t know which way is down. So for what those guys did, they were trained to go cave diving! There’s a whole bunch of factors in there that made it extremely dangerous.”
Much like hiking in the backcountry, Blair says it’s best to tell someone where you are going, how far off from a main road is the cave, and for that person to call first responders if you’re not heard from by a certain time.
If cave-divers are caught in a dark space, he advises remaining calm as emotional tensions could rise rapidly.