TOBY SHAPSHAK: What the Thai cave rescue says about humanity
As horrific as it was, the Thai cave rescue’s dramatic conclusion last week reminded us that the world is a good place
Last week’s extraordinary rescue of 12 young soccer players and their coach from monsoon-flooded caves in Thailand will be one of the defining stories of this generation. It had all the hallmarks of great literature: ill-fated adventure into a cave before sudden floods trap them, a chance discovery by a cave diver, an improbable rescue scenario completed against the odds with international teams working together to save these lives. You couldn’t make a movie about it that was believable — but of course Hollywood studios are already reportedly working on it. But, above all, it was the courage shown, both by the boys (who were trapped in darkness for nine days before being found, with little food or water, and then had to scuba-dive out of the caves, many having never swum before) and the rescuers, one of whom died while placing spare oxygen tanks. It really was a display of humanity at its finest. The world needed a human triumph like this to remind us how wonderful we are. It hasn’t...
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