ladbible logo

To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

Elon Musk Could Send 'Escape Pods' To Rescue Trapped Boys In Thailand

Elon Musk Could Send 'Escape Pods' To Rescue Trapped Boys In Thailand

The billionaire entrepreneur has sent a team of his engineers to Thailand to see if they can help to free the trapped football team

Daisy Jackson

Daisy Jackson

Elon Musk seems like a nice guy, which isn't something you can usually say about American billionaires.

The owner of SpaceX has said that he's going to be sending a team of engineers out to rescue the soccer team, who have been trapped in a Thai cave system for two weeks.

There's been talk of escape pods to get the teenagers out, as well as an inflatable tube with airlocks.

PA

Seeing as this is the man who's also the co-founder of Tesla, the ground-breaking cars that people wait years for, we have a lot of faith that him and his team will come up with a solution that no one else has thought of.



The rescue operation of the 12 boys and their coach has so far proven unsuccessful, although people have managed to reach them to deliver food and supplies.

The group entered the cave system when it was try, but subsequent heavy rain has meant that the way out has flooded.

Only professional divers have been able to get to them so far, and one ex-navy diver died after delivering supplies to the boys.

Musk tweeted on Wednesday that he would be very keen to help out if he could, saying, "I suspect that the Thai govt has this under control, but I'm happy to help if there is a way to do so"

Since then, he's been tweeting back and forth with James Yenbamroong, CEO of Thai space startup mu Space Corp.

Things got a bit science-y, but the gist seems to be that it's a really bloody complicated operation.

Still, Musk has confirmed that a team of SpaceX and Boring Co. engineers are heading to Thailand to see if they can be of any assistance.

The boys range in age from 11 to 16 years old, and their coach is 25.

Most of the boys do not know how to swim, never mind dive in such a complex environment.

The cave system is some six miles long, and the main concern now is that the rising water levels are cutting short their oxygen supply.

The boys and their families, as well as the Thai government, are obviously desperate to get them out safely, but it's so far proving really tricky.

More rain is also forecast for this weekend, which could delay the rescue mission even further.

Featured Image Credit: NDTV

Topics: tesla, elon musk, SpaceX, Thailand, Rescue