The enthralling inside story of the Tham Luang cave rescue in Thailand—told by the leader of the daring underwater rescue mission
In July 2018, twelve boys and their soccer coach disappeared into the Tham Luang cave in Thailand.
Trapped miles beneath the surface, not even the Thai Navy SEALs had the skills to bring them to safety. With the floodwater rising rapidly, time was running out.
Any hope of survival rested on Rick Stanton, a retired British firefighter with a living room full of homemade cave-diving equipment. As unlikely as it seemed, Rick and his partner, John Volanthen, were regarded as the A-team for exactly this kind of mission.
The Thai Cave rescue was the culmination of a lifelong obsession, requiring every ounce of skill and ingenuity accumulated by Rick over a four-decade pursuit of the unknown.
While the world held its breath, Rick, John, and their assembled team raced against time in the face of near-impossible odds. There was simply no precedent for what they were attempting to do.
In Aquanaut Rick reveals the real story of the cave rescue for the first time. And of a life lived without compromise in which any mistake could have been his last. It’s an edge-of-your-seat story of courage and conviction that will take you deep into the most remote and unforgiving places on the planet, told with humor, unflinching honesty, and a relentless drive for adventure.
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“Rick Stanton himself narrates his description of the moment when he and a diving partner were sure that the boys trapped in a Thai cave in 2018 were still alive. Then narrator Don Gilet voices the author’s account of the ensuing rescue…Stanton’s story isn’t just about diving. Gilet also brings to life Stanton’s relatable feelings about not fitting in throughout his life.”
— AudioFile
“An exceptional, true-life adventure book. Heroism wins the day.”
— Forbes“Diver Rick Stanton relives the rescue of the century.”
— Sunday Times (London)“A unique and heart-pounding story of courage and survival…Stanton’s chronicle…pairs well with the new documentary film, The Rescue.”
— Booklist“Remarkable. This book is the chronicle of a man from a humble background who worked devilishly hard to become accomplished in his beloved avocation, succeeded, and was willing to go anywhere to help people in the most dire cave disasters.”
— Wall Street Journal“The British divers are all heroes.”
— Clive Cussler, #1 New York Times bestselling authorBe the first to write a review about this audiobook!
Rick Stanton, MBE, GM has quietly spent forty years on his “hobby” of exploring caves around the world, steadily building his unique skill set as he defied limits, pushed boundaries, and discovered parts of the earth that had never been seen before. In 2018, he carefully planned and then successfully executed one of the most noteworthy rescue missions on record, the Thai Cave Rescue.