Thai cave rescuers to dive into world’s largest cave
British divers who were involved in a dramatic rescue mission in Thailand last year to save a young football team who became trapped in a cave are preparing to set foot in the world’s biggest cave Son Doong in the central province of Quang Binh.
Part of the river found in the world’s biggest cave Son Doong (Photo: Ryan Deboodt)
Quang Binh (VNA) - British diverswho were involved in a dramatic rescue mission in Thailand last year to save ayoung football team who became trapped in a cave are preparing to set foot inthe world’s biggest cave Son Doong in the central province of Quang Binh.
Nguyen Chau A, the organiser, said the missionwould start next month in an attempt to find out whether an underwater passagelinks Son Doong with Thung Cave.
He said if they were right, it would mean Son Doongwas even larger than previously thought because the two caves would be classedas one.
According to Oxalis Adventure Tours, British caverHoward Limbert would be technical director on the mission, accompanied by RickStanton, John Volanthen, Jason Mallison and Chris Jewell.
The four are described as the world’s best cavedivers and played a key role in rescuing the young footballers in July lastyear.
Limbert, who is a member of the British CaveResearch Association, said he and his team had suspected the existence of thepassage during a survey of Son Doong in 2010 as the end of an underground riverwent in a straight line from the end of Thung Cave.
Thung Cave is about 600m from Son Doong. Waterlevels in the passage are about 40m deep. Thung Cave was first explored in 1994and has a large river running through it, just like Son Doong.
Limbert said he believed the current inside thepassage would be strong due to the large volume of water from the river pouringinto a narrower passage and said the mission would be tough.
The team of four British divers will joined bycaving expert Martin Holroyd, who works as a safety guide for Oxalis.
Oxalis Adventure Tours is the sole tour providerto the world’s biggest cave.
Oxalis sponsored a total of 53,000 USD for themission and is working with the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park as theorganiser.
The company is looking for assistance frominternational media partners to report on the mission.-VNA
Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park in the central province of Quang Binh is frequently dubbed as the “Kingdom of Caves” for the magnificent specimens it boasts.
The first four of the 12 young footballers who together with their coach were trapped in the flooded Tham Luang cave of Thailand were rescued on late July 8.
Son Doong, the world’s largest known cave located in Vietnam’s central province of Quang Binh, has been ranked third among the worldwide bucket-list trips for 2019 by Lonely Planet, a prestigious travel guide magazine.
Stone formations with stalagmites and stalactites, underground rivers and lakes, together with delicate flora and fauna have made mammoth Son Doong Cave in the central province of Quang Binh one of the world’s most captivating destinations.
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Part of the river found in the world’s biggest cave Son Doong (Photo: Ryan Deboodt) 
