On June 23, twelve football players found themselves stuck in the Tham Luang cave in the north of Thailand, a zone that frequently floods during the Monsoon. The “wild boars”, the soccer team’s name, were stuck for more than two weeks before the cave was been completely evacuated.
Facing the threat of additional rains and the decrease of the oxygen level in the cave where the group took refuge, the authority decided on Sunday 8th that they had to take action.
With the oxygen levels dropping, the boys, some as young as 11 and not strong swimmers, struggled to find their way out of the cave. The rescuers guided them to make a dive through narrow, waterlogged passageways that would challenge even experienced cavers.
Maxtech Networks, an Israeli tech company, helped the rescuers with their communication technology. A member of the Israeli company was approached in Thailand by the Thai naval Special Forces, shortly after the boys went missing.
Uzi Hanuni, CEO of Maxtech, told Israel21c: “From that point on everything was clear to us,” “We knew that we would do whatever we could to save these boys.”
At the moment the tech company heard about the incident, they sent all necessary equipment and agents to Thailand to train the first responders on how to use the technology and to monitor the situation.
The Maxtech Networks Talkie-Walkie system led to a quick mobile connection between the boys in the cave and the rescuers.
Thanks to this communication device, food and emergency equipment were sent to the exact location in the cave. Doctors were also able to know the health condition of the boys and the rescuers found a way to extract the team and the coach.
First-aid workforce arrived in Thailand from at least six countries, including Israel. Without Maxtech Networks, no contact could have been established between the victims and the rescue team.
The soccer team finally got out safe and sound, surrounded by their families. They are now at home, in good health, recovering from the psychological shock. Israel is proud to have been able to contribute to the rescue of the boys.