In the summer of 2018, twelve Thai teenagers from a soccer team and their 25-year-old coach got stuck deep inside the labyrinthine – and flooding – Tham Luang caves of Thailand’s Chiang Rai province. Missing for over a week, the team was feared dead until they were found by a British cave diver, one of few experts in the world.
Weary but alive, the boys’ calm demeanor gave people hope but their discovery also signaled the beginning of a frenzied, complicated, and nearly impossible rescue mission. In this episode of Teamistry, host Gabriela Cowperthwaite takes us inside the caves and alongside the people assembled from across Thailand and the world to work together on this dire operation. This included Thai Navy Seals, British cave divers, members of the U.S. Air Force, doctors, engineers, and countless volunteers, all who worked against the clock to retrieve each individual safely. Hour after hour, as the caves continued to flood and oxygen tanks ran low, we learn about the leadership and teamwork that enabled these disparate groups to remain synchronized, overcome cultural barriers, and make difficult, life-or-death decisions. We hear from Narongsak Osottanakorn, the former Governor of Chiang Rai province, who marshaled the various teams and became a national hero. Lt. Col. Charles Hodges of the U.S. Air Force talks about his role in getting teams to communicate effectively, and Dr. Richard Harris, an anesthesiologist from Australia, describes his climactic moments while inside the caves with the boys. We also hear from Wharton Professor Michael Useem, who offers insight into the leadership techniques that propelled the successful mission. And Richard Lloyd Parry, Asia Editor of The Times of London, revisits his daily on-the-ground reporting to tell us how the rescue unfolded.
Teamistry is an original podcast from Atlassian.
