Rescue missions to reach people trapped inside caves have been in the news lately, with a crew in the southeast Asian country of Laos racing against the clock to save villagers who’ve been stuck deep inside one for just over 2 weeks. The operation is one of a number of highly risky rescue missions that happen across the world every year. So in this Squiz Shortcut, we’ll look at what attracts people into cave systems, who rescues them if they get into trouble, and what’s involved…

Squiz Recommends: 

Watching: This Four Corners story on Dr Richard ‘Harry’ Harris and that incredible rescue of the soccer team in Thailand back in 2018. 

Reading: This story from the Guardian which looks at the conditions inside the cave in Laos and what rescuers are up against.

You can check out the full interview with Nicole Gillespie, with thanks to Minderoo, here.

Hosted by Andrew Williams and Alice Dempster

Researched by Larissa Huntington

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