The Cave

The Cave tells the gripping story of twelve lost boys, their coach, and the heroes who risked their lives to rescue them.

When the young members of the Wild Boars soccer club entered a Thai cave with their coach, they anticipated being out by nightfall. One boy had a birthday cake waiting in the fridge, while another had a tutoring class to attend. They carried rope and torches but no food. A sudden monsoonal downpour unexpectedly flooded their exit route, leaving them trapped in a cave, one rumoured to be haunted by a mythical broken-hearted princess.

This initiated what would become the greatest search-and-rescue mission in living memory. People from across Thailand, and eventually from around the globe, united in a race against time to locate the boys and save them.

ABC foreign correspondent Liam Cochrane was present as these dramatic events unfolded. Drawing on his local expertise and collaborating with a team of Thai researchers, Cochrane immerses readers at the story's core, depicting the boys' agonising wait, the divers' struggles against raging waters, the urgent efforts to pump out flooded caves, and secret drilling initiatives.

With unparalleled access, Cochrane uncovers new details about the boys' ordeal inside the cave, providing an exclusive narrative of the rescue from lead diver John Volanthen. Amidst hope, the mission was marked by tensions, tragedy, and influential figures steering the operation. Yet above all, this is the inspiring tale of an extraordinary group of boys and what is possible when the world comes together.