Thirteen Lessons that Saved Thirteen Lives

1. Start by asking, "Why not?"

It was only once I had asked the question, ‘Why not?’ and stopped thinking negatively that I was able to involve myself in the search and rescue mission.

Overcome initial doubt. When faced with a daunting challenge, the first hurdle is often internal resistance and the "Inner Critic" whispering "But you can't...". Volanthen initially doubted his involvement in the Thai rescue, not due to lack of skill, but perceived logistical barriers.

Shift your mindset. By reframing the question from "Why me?" or "Can I?" to "Why not?", you challenge negative assumptions and open the door to possibility. This simple shift in perspective can propel you onto the "travelator" of action, making the first step easier.

Focus on the first step. Don't get overwhelmed by the entire journey. Just commit to the initial, manageable task. For the rescue, this meant making speculative phone calls; for other challenges, it could be putting on running shoes or opening a document.

2. Listen to the quiet voice of caution.

‘It’ll be alright.’ I wonder how many disastrous incidents have started with those three little words?

Recognize warning signs. The "Quiet Voice" is an internal whisper that signals when things are starting to go wrong or when you're pushing too far. Ignoring this intuition, often masked by the dismissive phrase "It'll be alright," can lead you into the "Incident Pit."

Understand the Incident Pit. This theory describes how small, seemingly innocuous errors or poor decisions can combine and escalate, making a situation progressively harder to escape. Each bad choice steepens the slope towards disaster.

Know when to stop. It often requires more courage to turn around and retreat from a dangerous or failing situation than to blindly push forward. Volanthen's first dive in Tham Luang was cut short due to rapidly rising water, a decision that felt frustrating but prevented potential disaster.

3. Maintain perspective: Zoom in and zoom out.

Overfocus happens during moments of challenge or pressure, when it’s very easy to become so absorbed in a target or a goal, that we lose sight of the bigger picture developing around us.

Avoid tunnel vision. Intense focus is necessary, but "overfocus" can be dangerous, causing "inattentional blindness" where you miss critical details or developing problems outside your immediate task. This happened to Volanthen in Wookey Hole when focused solely on digging, he missed the silting and lost his bearings.

Be blankly receptive. Cultivate the ability to maintain a wider view of the situation, remaining open and receptive to all stimuli, not just the central task. This allows you to spot peripheral issues before they become major problems.

Allocate awareness appropriately. Under pressure, tasks can pile up (task loading). Learn to prioritize and manage your mental capacity, focusing on critical issues first (like breathing underwater) while keeping a general awareness of other factors.

4. Prioritize rest and decompression.

Taking a brief rest from the grind delivered a restorative boost, and I felt both stronger and sharper after our morning away from the rescue.

Recovery is essential. Just as divers need physical decompression to avoid the bends, everyone needs periods of rest and mental decompression to recover from intense effort and stress. Pushing through exhaustion leads to mistakes and burnout.

Find your tranquil space. Identify activities or environments that allow you to switch off and disconnect from external pressures. For Volanthen, this was often the quiet solitude of underwater decompression stops, shielded from the demands of his IT business.

Gain fresh perspective. Stepping back from a problem, even briefly, can provide clarity and new insights that were invisible when you were too close to the action. The visit to the temple during a lull in the rescue efforts helped Volanthen gain perspective on the overall operation.

5. Break down challenges: One breath at a time.

By utilising one simple technique it is possible to dissect a huge problem into something more manageable, just by working towards three distinct timescales – three seconds, three minutes, and three hours . . .

Manage stress through time-slicing. In moments of crisis or overload, the human nervous system can make poor choices. Break down the overwhelming situation into smaller, prioritized tasks within defined timeframes:

• Three seconds: Address the most immediate, critical need (e.g., breathing).
• Three minutes: Focus on the next urgent steps (e.g., navigating, assessing immediate safety).
• Three hours (or longer): Plan for the medium-to-long term outcome (e.g., getting to safety, seeking assistance).

Prioritize ruthlessly. Focus entirely on the most urgent task before moving to the next. In the car accident example, the immediate priority was checking for injury, not finding glasses or planning the ride home.

Build confidence through small wins. Successfully handling the three-second problem provides the composure and momentum needed to tackle the three-minute and three-hour challenges. This technique helps prevent panic from spiraling out of control.

6. Prepare for the unexpected.

However, by learning one or two thought processes we can quickly accept the unexpected and cope more effectively.

Accept unpredictability. Life is inherently unpredictable, and "unprecedented events" happen more often than we think. Denying this reality leaves you vulnerable and unprepared when a crisis strikes.

Build a Library of Plans. Mentally (or physically) prepare for potential problems and disasters in advance. By wargaming "What if...?" scenarios, you create a portfolio of potential solutions that can be quickly accessed and adapted when the unexpected occurs.

Focus on preparedness, not prediction. You can't predict every specific event, but you can prepare your mindset and resources to handle a range of potential issues. Volanthen carried a first-aid kit and rope in his car, ready for unforeseen roadside incidents.

7. Collaborate effectively and take responsibility.

Overall, though, trust is the most important attribute when working as a team underwater and with it, Rick and I have saved each other’s lives several times.

Trust is paramount. In high-stakes environments, placing your life in the hands of others requires absolute trust. Build teams with individuals you know are competent, reliable, and selfless.

Take rational responsibility. Acknowledge the facts of a situation and act carefully based on evidence, rather than being driven by emotion or bravado. This applies to both individual actions and team dynamics.

Manage ego. Competitive bravado and the desire for personal glory can undermine teamwork and lead to reckless decisions. Share credit for successes and focus on the collective objective rather than individual recognition.

8. Sometimes, the best action is to do nothing.

I know this sounds counter-intuitive, but by pausing for breath in the first three seconds of a dispute, accident, or failed plan... we can plot our escape away from trouble, all the while using haste rather than speed . . .

Allow situations to settle. In chaotic or uncertain moments, rushing into action can worsen the problem, like stirring up silt in a cave. Pausing allows you to assess the situation clearly before acting.

Avoid rash decisions. Emotional reactions or the urge to "fix it now" can lead to poorly thought-out plans. Take a moment to breathe and think, especially if immediate action isn't strictly necessary.

Use haste, not speed. Once a plan is formed, execute it efficiently (with haste) but avoid reckless speed that could lead to mistakes. Rick and Volanthen waited for silt to settle in Font del Truffe before proceeding, preventing them from getting lost.

9. Keep plans simple and reliable.

The greatest plans are those that are underpinned by a devilish simplicity, whose architects have a keen understanding of the minimum level of complexity required to succeed.

Minimize complexity. Overly complicated plans, often created by trying to account for every possible "What if?", can introduce more points of failure than they prevent. Aim for the simplest possible solution that can achieve the objective.

Balance simplicity and reliability. While simplicity is key, the plan must also be reliable enough for the environment and stakes involved. This might mean adding some redundancy or using highly tested equipment, but only where necessary.

Better is the enemy of Good enough. Don't endlessly tweak a functional plan striving for theoretical perfection. Once a simple, reliable solution is found, stick to it and execute it well. The "human daisy chain" idea was too complex; the "Inert Package Plan" was simpler and more reliable.

10. Rehearse and visualize for success.

Having visualised what needs to be done and how, I’m ready to negotiate the practical stages as and when they arrive for real.

Practice makes perfect. Rehearse procedures physically whenever possible, like practicing with the buoyancy devices and masks in the swimming pool. This builds muscle memory and identifies potential issues in a safe environment.

Visualize the process. Mentally walk through the steps required to achieve your goal, focusing on the actions and techniques rather than just the outcome. Imagine executing each task perfectly.

Rehearse for pain and disaster. Don't just visualize success. Prepare yourself emotionally for potential difficulties, setbacks, or even tragedy. By contemplating the worst-case scenarios, you reduce their power to overwhelm you if they occur.

11. Make success a consistent habit.

Wanting to succeed, disliking the thought of failure, and sticking resolutely to a challenge are key traits we can all throw into our toolbox, because they’re applicable to every aspect of our day to day life – at work, in the gym, even at home.

Build diligence into routine. Success often comes from consistently performing necessary tasks, even when they are mundane or difficult. Make diligence, like checking equipment before a dive or preparing meals for a diet, a non-negotiable habit.

Gamify the process. Find ways to make challenging tasks more engaging by tracking progress, celebrating small wins, or creating streaks. This taps into the brain's reward system (dopamine) to build motivation and reinforce habits.

Focus on the streak. The "winning streak" concept motivated Volanthen during the extraction ("One day down, one boy rescued"). Focus on maintaining consistency, even if it's just completing the minimum required task.

12. Define your own benchmarks for happiness.

By managing them carefully, we’re able to create our own happiness levels . . .

Set personal standards. Don't let external validation or societal definitions dictate your sense of success or happiness. Define what "doing OK" means to you based on your own values and effort.

Seek internal validation. Focus on the satisfaction derived from the process, the effort, and meeting your own standards, rather than relying solely on accolades or the opinions of others. Volanthen was validated by completing the task well, not by media attention.

Accept limitations and outcomes. Recognize that despite your best efforts, not every challenge will result in a perfect outcome. Learn to accept the realities of a situation and find peace in knowing you did all you could within your defined parameters.

Last updated: June 8, 2025