Thirteen Lessons that Saved Thirteen ..., John Volanthen
Thirteen Lessons that Saved Thirteen ..., John Volanthen
List: $19.99 | Sale: $13.99
Club: $9.99

Thirteen Lessons that Saved Thirteen Lives
The Thai Cave Rescue

Author: John Volanthen

Narrator: John Volanthen

Unabridged: 6 hr 57 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 12/28/2021

Synopsis

In this first-hand account, John Volanthen reveals how he pushed the limits of human endurance in the life-or-death mission to rescue the Thai youth soccer team trapped in the flooded cave.

The world held its breath in 2018 when the Wild Boars soccer team and their coach went missing deep underground in the Tham Luang cave complex in northern Thailand. They had been stranded by sudden, continuous monsoon rains while exploring the caves after practice.

With torrential rain pouring down and the waters still on the rise, an army of rescue teams and equipment was deployed, including Thai Navy SEALs, a US Air Force special tactics squadron, police sniffer dogs, drones and robots. But it was British cave diver John Volanthen and his partner, Rick Stanton, who were first to reach the stranded team and who played a key role in their ultimate rescue.

Each chapter of Thirteen Lessons that Saved Thirteen Lives tells one part of the edge-of-your-seat mission from Tham Luang but also imparts a life lesson, gleaned from John's previous rescues and record-breaking cave dives, that can be applied to everyday obstacles and challenges.

About John Volanthen

John Volanthen began caving with the scouts at the age of fourteen and is now a world record-holding British cave diver who has been at the forefront of underground rescue and exploration for over twenty years. Best known as the first diver to locate and contact the missing youth Thai soccer team with his diving partner Rick Stanton, he also planned and participated in the children's rescue, carrying three children to safety. John has been involved in search, rescue and recovery operations as well as mapping caves worldwide. His many awards include the British and Commonwealth George Medal, Royal Humane Society Bronze medal and Scientific Exploration Society Pioneer with Purpose.

With a background in medical electronics, John has invented underwater mapping devices, communications systems, and state of the art, micro rebreathers, allowing divers to stay underwater longer than was previously possible. In 2005 at Wookey Hole in Somerset, Volanthen and Stanton advanced the British cave diving depth record to ninety meters (295 ft). As part of an international team, he set a world record for the longest cave dive from the surface, reaching ten kilometers (33,000 ft) in the Pozo Azul cave system in the Rudron Valley in Spain. John lives in Bristol and continues to explore and document underwater caves throughout the world. He is always on standby for the next rescue.

Reviews

Goodreads review by 8stitches 9lives on July 12, 2021

Thirteen Lessons That Saved Thirteen Lives is the enthralling inside story of the Thai Cave Rescue from one of the men at the centre of the mission. In July 2018, twelve boys and their football coach disappeared into Tham Luang Cave in Thailand. Trapped miles beneath the surface, not even the Thai N......more

Goodreads review by Kayley on March 20, 2025

I wish this book had more detail about the cave rescue and less self-help! I normally get bored reading self-help but this was a good mixture of self-help, caving stories & the Thai cave rescue.......more

Goodreads review by T.J. on April 05, 2025

Loved the film, which is why I was drawn to this book. (I continued to imagine Rick Stanton as Viggo Mortensen though 🤣) However full credit to all those divers!! The risk involved, the dangers, and the psychological scarring that 'could' have occurred were harrowing. The way John described the fear......more

Goodreads review by Stevejs298 on August 04, 2021

The genesis of my interest in this book was to learn more about the risk and that was certainly satisfied. It was an amazing accomplishment that these boys were able to be found and safely rescued. The portions of the book on the thirteen lessons were a real bonus. I had not expected to be intereste......more

Goodreads review by Kylie on July 31, 2022

Narration and Book ⭐⭐⭐⭐ John did an amazing job re-telling this incredible story of the cave rescue. I really enjoyed hearing it from his point of view and no one can deny that all the people involved in this are absolute heroes for risking their own lives. The only thing I personally didn't enjoy wa......more

Add to Cart
Add to Wish List