All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team

“When rain falls on the Nang Non Mountains, it doesn’t just run over the surface. Much of that rain sinks straight down into the mountain’s millions of holes, soaking into the ground like a sponge. When the Wild Boars walked into Tham Luang, it was dry. But what the boys didn’t realize was that the heavy rains that hit the area a few days before had completely saturated the ground beneath their feet. The boys didn’t know that the dry ground they walked on masked a mountain already filled to the brim with water.”

Soontornvat explains in simple terms the conditions that led to the sudden flooding of Tham Luang. Drawing on her educational background in science, she highlights geological processes and their impact on the changing cave conditions. Soontornvat balances the drama of the narrative with the scientific knowledge needed to fully understand the situation.

“All the Wild Boars are familiar with the practice of meditation. Like most of the boys, Coach Ek is Buddhist, and he usually leads the team through meditation exercises before a soccer game to get them focused on the match ahead. Just like on the soccer field, the boys follow their coach’s guidance. Breath by breath, they each become the master of the one thing they can control inside Tham Luang: their own mind.”

Buddhism and its practice of meditation are a motif in the book. For the boys, a background in meditation helps them remain calm under terrifying circumstances. Soontornvat shows the importance of disciplining one’s mind and the benefits of meditation.

“Once you have conquered one challenge, you begin to wonder: What else have you told yourself is impossible? What else is there that you believed you could not overcome? Maybe the idea of impossible is only in your mind.”

Soontornvat emphasizes the idea that one is capable of doing more than one realizes. She shows that the Wild Boars soccer team is a group of ordinary boys, yet they survived extraordinary circumstances. This quote in particular speaks to the training of a novice monk and how it builds mental strength. Coach Ek’s background as a novice monk likely helped him remain calm and maintain hope while trapped inside Tham Luang.

“On the central plains of Thailand, farmers have a lot of problems getting enough water to their crops. During the hot, dry season, they assemble homemade pumps to pull water out of nearby rivers and canals for their fields. Years of innovation (and a little competition among neighboring farms) have resulted in some of the fastest, most efficient pumps in the country…This is Thai ingenuity at its finest. The Thai people have a well-earned reputation for making things with whatever they have at hand.”

Soontornvat explains Thanet’s luck in finding farmers with homemade super-pumps willing to help pull water out of the ground at Sai Tong. In telling the story of the cave rescue, Soontornvat also brings attention to the Thai people and their ingenuity. She highlights their resilience and creativity, showing their inventive spirit and eagerness to help however they could.

“Everyone is moved by the Thai SEAL team’s determination and bravery. But based on their many years of expertise, the UK divers know that neither determination nor bravery will be what rescues the boys. If they are going to be successful, it will be planning, preparation, and sticking to the rules that does it.”

Soontornvat suggests that sometimes courage on its own isn’t enough to solve a problem. Reaching the boys in the flooded cave would take both bravery and a wise plan. Although many highly trained rescuers were ready and willing to help, few possessed the knowledge and experience necessary to carry out the dive rescue. Soontornvat shows how, in such moments, the bravest and best course of action is to humbly allow others to lead.

“Starting on July 2 and continuing throughout the duration of the mission, Thanet and his team carry on with this exhausting and dangerous work, from morning until far past dark. Crews get lost in the black jungle trying to get back to their trucks in the middle of the night. Sprained ankles, pulled muscles, dehydration, bruises, and fungus-covered feet are frequent occurrences. Every day, the medical tent at base camp attends to an injured rescue worker who has hobbled down from the mountain. But the workers’ sacrifices will not be for nothing.”

Thanet and his team, along with the many other volunteers at base camp, continued working despite exhaustion and minor injuries. Soontornvat highlights the resilience of all those involved in the cave rescue, especially Thanet and his team, as they worked to reduce water levels, inch by inch.

“When you are hundreds of yards into a sump, you are so isolated from the basic needs of survival that you may as well be on the surface of the moon. It’s no wonder, then, that sump divers seem to possess the same qualities as astronauts: the ability to prepare thoroughly, solve problems quickly, and keep cool in an emergency.”

The cave divers who entered Tham Luang needed incredible mental focus and problem-solving abilities. Soontornvat demonstrates the importance of these qualities for success at Tham Luang, and during the account of the cave rescue, she highlights specific examples of moments when cave divers had to create on-the-spot solutions to life-threatening problems. She shows the value of mental toughness and celebrates this quality in the cave divers.

“The boys thank them, and then they each wrap their arms around the men in a hug. This is an unusual show of affection, and it carries a real meaning. Thai people are very affectionate with loved ones, and it’s common for friends and family to hug and hold hands, but hugging a stranger—especially a foreign stranger—is not the norm. By hugging Rick and John, the boys are not just showing how grateful they are to be saved. These two men are no longer strangers. They have become like family.”

Soontornvat’s cultural background helps her see the importance of this embrace and explain it to Western readers, who may not understand the significance of a hug in Thai culture. Soontornvat’s unique perspective as an American of Thai descent gives her the authority to write this story because she can include explanations of culturally nuanced moments like this one.

“The mountain now swells with ten thousand people: rescue workers, divers, military personnel, monks, medics, and the scores of volunteers supporting them.”

Soontornvat describes the vast number of volunteers present at base camp. Her use of the verb “swells” conveys the full community of people, from very different walks of life, in the area surrounding Tham Luang. Her list of the various groups shows how many sectors of society came together to help the boys. Her description also shows why communication became difficult at base camp. Although these groups all shared the same space and the same goal, each had a different perspective, and many cultural differences existed among them. In illustrating why communication was sometimes strained between the two groups, this quote relates to one of the book’s main themes: The Importance of Teamwork and Communication.

“Even though the British team and the Thai government officials are camped out in the very same parking lot with each other, there is a massive gap in communication. It doesn’t seem that the Thai leadership knows about the dropping oxygen levels in Chamber 9, or how difficult it will be to stock the boys with enough supplies to ride out the rainy season.”

This quote too relates to the teamwork and communication theme. Soontornvat describes the detriments a lack of communication causes, as it prevents teamwork and progress. However, she also shows the opposite when the different groups present at base camp eventually improve their communication with one another, and they bring about the successful result of rescuing all 12 boys and their coach.

“Convincing so many Thai officials is going to be a delicate task. This calls for someone with the perfect mix of diplomacy and communication skills. Luckily, the American officers seem to have that perfect mix.”

Since the different groups at base camp possess different perspectives and come from different cultures, communication is challenging. Soontornvat’s description of Major Hodges’s presentation highlights diplomacy and respect as essential qualities for successful intercultural communication. Soontornvat suggests that communication involves more than simply speaking; how one presents information and one’s attitude are just as important as the words one speaks.

“Every astronaut, firefighter, pilot, and soldier will attest that rehearsing is a vital part of being successful in a crisis. We often hear incredible stories of pilots landing planes under emergency conditions or military units carrying out incredible feats of bravery under tremendous stress, and we marvel at the courage and quick reaction times of the heroes. What we hear less of is how much those heroes prepared both their bodies and their minds to be able to respond in those life-or-death situations.”

The cave divers spend the day before the first rescue preparing as best as they can. Although they can’t replicate cave conditions exactly, they get as close as possible. Soontornvat explains that practice is essential to success; people who perform amazing, heroic acts don’t do so by accident or by luck. They train, anticipate problems, and work through imperfections in a plan ahead of time so that they can perform at their best when it matters most. Soontornvat encourages readers to see the value of practice, showing that even the most elite rescuers need practice to be successful.

“As night falls on July 7, the time for rehearsals is over. In the morning, the rescue will begin.”

Soontornvat often ends chapters with brief, dramatic statements like this. In doing so, she creates tension and suspense. Although the story’s outcome (the survival of all the boys) is well-known, Soontornvat keeps readers hooked to the end by creating drama, ending chapters with cliff-hangers.

“Extra syringes float in the water around him. He holds on to Note with one hand, fumbling to put the needle and syringe together with the other. Aside from practicing on a plastic water bottle the day before, he has never given a shot in his life, and now he’ll have to give it to a child, floating in the water, in the middle of a cave, without a soul in the world to help him.”

The author provides specific details and imagery to recreate this dramatic scene. She captures the difficult circumstances under which diver Jason Mallinson had to give Note a top-off sedation dose. She emphasizes how awkward and unfamiliar this task was to Jason, which reinforces the diver’s resilience and determination.

“The news is beamed to satellites floating above the globe and then down again to people all over the world who have been anxiously waiting. Across oceans and time zones, people who have never even been to Thailand pump their fists in the air. On the other side of the planet, people wake up hours before dawn to check the news on their phones. They smile and then turn to their sleeping family members and whisper tearfully, ‘They did it. They got the first four out.’”

Soontornvat creates specific scenes to convey how the world received the news of the boys’ rescue. Throughout the narrative, she emphasizes the media coverage of the situation at Tham Luang—and how the whole world watched and waited to hear what happened to the boys. This quote uses visual imagery to help place readers alongside those watching for developments—and captures the joy felt around the world at the news of the boys’ survival.

“The divers’ hands are shredded and infected. They haven’t been able to wear gloves because that would prevent them from feeling the precious guideline. They had wanted to take a day of rest in between each day of the operation, but everyone realizes that they have to beat the rain. They will just have to hold on to their focus and muster their energy for one final push.”

The cave divers exemplify one of the book’s themes—The Role of Resilience in Survival—as they continue with rescues despite fatigue and discomfort. In their willingness to press on with the rescue, they exhibit both physical and mental grit. Soontornvat celebrates the quality of resilience in several contributors to the cave rescue, including the divers.

“Thanet’s team has not eased up on their grueling schedule for a moment. The rescue divers have reported that when they swam into Sam Yaek junction, they didn’t feel the same gush of warm, clear water coming in from the right-hand side. That means that Thanet’s diversion structures have been working to keep the water from getting into Monk’s Series. They just have to keep it up for one more day.”

Thanet and his water diversion team offer another example of The Role of Resilience in Survival. Soontornvat shows how much their work helped provide safer conditions for the divers. Even though they received little recognition for their efforts—and didn’t even know at the time how much their work was helping in the cave—Thanet and his team displayed resilience and played a vital role in the boys’ survival.

“When you are swimming in a fully enclosed space, with no signals to tell you which direction to go, it’s alarmingly easy to lose your way. Your ear canals fill with water, messing with your internal compass. Unless the water is clear and the current is smooth, you can think you’re swimming in one direction while you are heading the opposite way entirely. This is exactly what happens to Chris.”

Soontornvat uses the second person “you” alongside vivid imagery to convey the divers’ experience in the cave, highlighting the conditions of an activity that most have likely never had. Descriptions such as this one help illustrate the dangers of the cave rescue while creating suspense and excitement in the narrative.

“Later, Major Hodges will describe the moment as something ‘like a movie’: the last SEAL finally breaks the surface, and everyone scrambles to get out of Chamber 3 as the water surges up behind them. It seems that the Sleeping Lady has had quite enough. As the last person steps out of the cave, the passages fill with water. They will remain filled for months.”

Soontornvat emphasizes nature’s power: The water levels rise just as the final Navy SEAL emerges from Chamber 3. This dramatic quote underscores the unpredictability of nature and highlights the miraculous character of the successful rescue operation. Had the last day of rescues taken just a few minutes more, everyone may not have made it out of Tham Luang alive.

“Somehow, they have defied the terrible odds. This rescue was impossible, and they did it anyway. They got them out alive—all thirteen.”

Reactions from those involved in the cave rescue—along with Soontornvat’s assessment of it—suggests that the safe extraction of all 13 people from Tham Luang was astounding. Rescuers beat the odds and statistics stacked against them. Although luck may have had some role in their success, much of it must be credited to their talents, planning, resilience, and bravery.

“The team agrees they want to honor Saman’s memory. They want to do something to show their deep gratitude for everyone who worked so hard to get them out of Tham Luang. They decide that all the Buddhist boys will become novice monks at Wat Doi Wao.”

Soontornvat emphasizes the boys’ humility and thankfulness for not only their rescuers but also the thousands of volunteers who contributed to the rescue. She highlights Thai culture and Buddhism, showing that one way of expressing gratitude is to become a novice monk. The boys could have immediately returned to their comfortable, normal lives at home with their families, but they chose to take a dramatic and selfless step to express their thanks.

“Now they get a deep teaching of the prayer and meditation that kept up their will to survive inside the cave. These practices will strengthen the boys from the inside out, building a solid foundation that will keep them steady after they leave the temple.”

Soontornvat highlights meditation as a practice that helped the boys keep their minds strong within Tham Luang. She shows how meditation can help a person achieve something they never thought was possible, and how so much of the battle against adversity takes place in the mind. This quote connects Buddhist meditation to one of the book’s themes: The Significance of Mental Strength.

“On August 8, Coach Ek and the three boys who were stateless are all granted Thai citizenship. They can now travel outside the country, study, and work without fear of punishment. There are still up to 3.5 million stateless people living in the shadows in Thailand, including hundreds of thousands of refugees, many of whom are children. The rescue of the Wild Boars has drawn more attention to this problem and has increased calls by activists to address it.”

Soontornvat explains that Coach Ek and three of the boys were stateless, meaning that they didn’t have citizenship in any country. She brings attention to this social issue and explains that the media attention of the cave rescue may help effect change for stateless people. Soontornvat’s book, likewise, brings attention to the issue, in hopes that readers may be inspired to learn more about what they can do to advocate for change.