A former Gordonstoun pupil recently assisted with the rescue of 12 footballers and their coach.
Connor Roe, who left the school in 2008, was called to help with the final phase of the rescue operation as a cave diver by the British Cave Rescue Council. He was one of eleven cave divers working alongside the Thai Navy SEALs.
He said: “We entered into the more remote parts of the cave, moving through a series of flooded passages where the visibility was often zero. Everything was done by feel and we had to swim through the smaller passages slowly and carefully. This was made just a touch harder with the extra air bottles we were carrying, sometimes taking as many as 5 each. I was located roughly halfway to the boys’ location.
“When they arrived with their primary carer, my teammate and I would complete a series of checks on them such as air levels in their diving cylinder, exchanging them if required. After ensuring they were both OK to carry on, I would guide the children through a long river section which involved some low air spaces and short dives to the next significant diving section. Having ensured the onward movement of the pair, I would return to repeat the process until all the children were out safely.”
Connor described what it felt like when he knew that all the boys and their coach had been rescued: “I felt relief, pride and an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. We had just completed something that had never been attempted on this level ever before. With the world watching, often second by second, the pressure was on. We were so pleased to be part of this great team that has, without a doubt, changed these boys’ lives forever.”