Rick Stanton

Last updated

Rick Stanton
MBE GM
Rick Stanton back from his deep dive in the Goul de la Tannerie.jpg
Stanton in 2008
Born
Richard William Stanton

1961 (age 62–63)
Epping Forest, Essex, England
Education Aston University
Occupation Firefighter
Known for Cave diving, cave rescue

Richard William Stanton, MBE , GM (born 1961) [1] is a British civilian cave diver who specialises in rescues through the Cave Rescue Organisation and the British Cave Rescue Council. He has been called "one of the world's most accomplished cave-divers", "the face of British cave diving," and "the best cave diver in Europe". Stanton has lived in Coventry for many years, and was formerly a firefighter with the West Midlands Fire Service for 25 years prior to his retirement. In 2018 he played a leading role in the Tham Luang cave rescue and was awarded the George Medal in the Civilian Gallantry List.

Contents

Early life

Stanton was born in 1961 [2] and grew up in Epping Forest District in Essex. [3] He attributes his interest in cave diving to a television programme he watched as a teenager, The Underground Eiger , saying, "After watching it, I just knew that cave-diving was for me." [4] Stanton studied at Aston University, where he joined both the caving and the diving clubs. [3] He began as a self-taught diver in the River Lune in Cumbria and Lancashire. [4]

Stanton has lived in Coventry for many years, and was formerly a firefighter with the West Midlands Fire Service for 25 years prior to his retirement. [5]

Caving and rescues

Rescues

Stanton usually cave dives and conducts rescues with a partner, John Volanthen. In 2004 he was involved in the rescue of six British cavers who were trapped in a cave at the Alpazat caverns in Mexico for eight days. [6] Stanton was also part of a team that attempted a cave rescue of Eric Establie, in the Dragonnière Gaud Cave near Labastide-de-Virac in the Ardèche region of France, in 2010 which was ultimately unsuccessful. [7] [8]

In 2011, Stanton assisted in the recovery of the body of Polish cave diver Artur Kozłowski from Pollonora cave at Kiltartan, Ireland. [9]

Norwegian authorities asked him to assist to recover the bodies of two Finnish divers from Jordbrugrotta in 2014, but after diving down to the site he and his colleagues deemed the operation too risky. He had completed another recovery there in 2006. [10]

In 2018, he helped locate a youth football team in the Tham Luang cave rescue. [5] [11] [12] After locating and participating in the rescue of the missing team and its coach, Stanton said that he and the other cave divers involved were not heroes, saying, "We’re just using a very unique skill set, which we normally use for our own interest and sometimes we’re able to use that to give something back to the community." [13]

Stanton later said: "I think I hold great pride in what we did. You could say it’s justification for the dedication I put forward into a ridiculous minority sport that no one ever took seriously." [14]

Records

In 2004 Stanton and Volanthen set a world record for greatest depth achieved in a British cave, cave diving 76 m (249 ft) at Wookey Hole in Somerset. [15] In 2010 Stanton, Volanthen, Jason Mallinson, and René Houben set a world record for longest cave penetration dive, obtaining 8,800 m (28,900 ft) in the Pozo Azul cave system in the Rudrón Valley in Spain. [16]

Equipment

Stanton is a technical diver, developing his own diving gear to great effect. He developed two closed-circuit rebreather units; this novel technology has been "instrumental in his achieving cave diving depth records around the world." [17] One modification was to allow the rebreather to be worn on the side of the body rather than the chest or back. This is advantageous in fitting through smaller spaces. He builds prototypes of his designs and tests them in swimming pools before using them in caves. [3]

He also uses underwater scooters to dive more efficiently, travelling greater distances while conserving energy and oxygen supplies. [18]

Books

Awards and honours

Stanton has been called "one of the world's most accomplished cave-divers", [4] "the face of British cave diving," [21] and "the best cave diver in Europe". [21]

In 2008 Stanton received the EUROTEK "Diver of the Conference Award" for his "significant contribution to advanced and technical diving." [22] Stanton's rescue attempt of a diver in a French cave, and assistance in identifying the location of that diver's body, earned him the Royal Humane Society's bronze medal in 2012. [23] In 2021 Stanton also received the 'Hero of the Year' award at the West Midland Fire Service's Aspire Awards. [24]

Stanton was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2013 New Year Honours, "For services to Local Government". [5] [25]

In November 2018, Stanton and five other members of the British cave rescue team were given the 2018 Pride of Britain Award for "Outstanding Bravery" for the Tham Luang incident. The rescued children attended the award ceremony, in London. [26] On 28 December 2018 it was announced that Stanton and Volanthen would receive the George Medal in the 2019 New Year Honours for their roles at Tham Luang. [27] [28] Three other members of their team were appointed MBEs and two were awarded the Queen's Gallantry Medal. [28]

On 21 November 2021 explorer Mark Wood, Chairman of the Great Britain and Ireland Explorers Club Chapter, awarded Stanton a chapter coin in recognition of the role he played in the 2018 Thai cave rescue. [29]

Personal life

Stanton lives in Coventry. [30] [31]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cave rescue</span> Specialized field of wilderness rescue

Cave rescue is a highly specialized field of wilderness rescue in which injured, trapped or lost cave explorers are medically treated and extracted from various cave environments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cave Diving Group</span> UK based cave diver training and certification agency

The Cave Diving Group (CDG) is a United Kingdom-based diver training organisation specialising in cave diving.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naval Special Warfare Command (Thailand)</span> Special operations force within the Military of Thailand

The Naval Special Warfare Command, commonly known as the Royal Thai Navy SEALs, is the special operations force of the Royal Thai Navy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caving in the United Kingdom</span>

Recreational caving in the United Kingdom dates back to the mid-19th century. The four major caving areas of the United Kingdom are North Yorkshire, South Wales, Derbyshire, and the Mendips. Minor areas include Devon, North Wales, and the Scottish Highlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Public safety diving</span> Underwater work done by law enforcement, rescue and search and recovery teams

Public safety diving is underwater diving conducted as part of law enforcement and search and rescue. Public safety divers differ from recreational, scientific and commercial divers who can generally plan the date, time, and location of a dive, and dive only if the conditions are conducive to the task. Public safety divers respond to emergencies 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and may be required to dive in the middle of the night, during inclement weather, in zero visibility "black water," or in waters polluted by chemicals and biohazards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doi Nang Non</span> Mountain range of the Thai highlands located in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand

Doi Nang Non is a mountain range in the Thai highlands in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand. It is a karstic formation with numerous waterfalls and caves rising at the southern end of the Daen Lao Range. Part of its area is managed as the Tham Luang–Khun Nam Nang Non Forest Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Longhill High School</span> Community school in Rottingdean, East Sussex, England

Longhill High School is a co-educational secondary school for 11 to 16 year-olds, which is located in Rottingdean, Brighton and Hove, East Sussex. The school grounds are served by Brighton & Hove bus routes 2, 22, 72, 72A and 76, 76A.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Craig Challen</span> Australian veterinary surgeon and technical diver

Craig Challen, SC is an Australian technical diver and cave explorer who played a substantial role in the Tham Luang cave rescue. He was the recipient of the Oztek 2009 Diver of the Year award for his services to caving, and was joint winner of the 2019 Australian of the Year.

Artur "Conrad" Kozłowski was a Polish cave diver who spent his last years in Ireland. Amongst other achievements in cave exploration, he set the record for the deepest cave dive in Great Britain and Ireland at a depth of 103 m (338 ft).

Pluragrotta is a cave in Rana, Norway. It is the deepest cave in Northern Europe. Most caves in Rana, of which there are some 200, are not suitable for diving.

The year 2018 was the 237th year of the Rattanakosin Kingdom of Thailand. It was the 3rd year in the reign of King Vajiralongkorn, and was the year 2561 in the Buddhist Era.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tham Luang cave rescue</span> 2018 international rescue in Thailand

In June and July 2018, a junior association football team was rescued from Tham Luang Nang Non, a cave system in Chiang Rai province, northern Thailand. Twelve members of the team, aged 11 to 16, and their 25-year-old assistant coach entered the cave on 23 June after a practice session. Shortly after they entered, heavy rainfall began and partially flooded the cave system, blocking their way out and trapping them deep within.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tham Luang Nang Non</span> Cave in Chiang Rai province, Thailand

Tham Luang Nang Non is a karstic cave system in the Tham Luang–Khun Nam Nang Non Forest Park, near the village of Pong Pha, in northern Thailand. It lies beneath Doi Nang Non, a mountain range on the border with Myanmar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Volanthen</span> British volunteer cave diver who specialises in rescues

John Paul Volanthen, is a British cave diver who undertakes cave rescues through the Cave Rescue Organisation, South and Mid Wales Cave Rescue, and the British Caving Association. In 2018, he played a leading role in the Tham Luang cave rescue. He cave-dives as a hobby and conducts rescues as a volunteer. He works as an IT consultant in Bristol.

The Alpazat cave rescue occurred in March 2004 after six British soldiers became trapped in the Alpazat caverns in Puebla, Mexico near Cuetzalan. All six were rescued by British cave divers after spending eight days inside the cave. The incident resulted in diplomatic tension between Britain and Mexico, as the soldiers refused local help and there were rumors that they were surveying for uranium deposits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Harris (anaesthetist)</span> Australian anesthesiologist and cave diver

Richard Harris SC, OAM, is an Australian anaesthetist and cave diver who is currently the Lieutenant Governor of South Australia. Harris is best known for having played a crucial role in the Tham Luang cave rescue. He and Craig Challen were jointly awarded 2019 Australian of the Year as a result of that rescue. Harris was appointed as South Australia's Lieutenant-Governor in 2024, and was sworn in on 9 February 2024.

<i>Thirteen Lives</i> 2022 American film by Ron Howard

Thirteen Lives is a 2022 biographical survival film, based on the Tham Luang cave rescue, directed and produced by Ron Howard and written by William Nicholson. The film stars Viggo Mortensen, Colin Farrell, Joel Edgerton, and Tom Bateman.

Thai Cave Rescue is a 6-part limited series produced by Netflix, directed by Kevin Tancharoen and Nattawut Poonpiriya. It was released on September 22, 2022.

The Trapped 13: How We Survived The Thai Cave is a 2022 documentary film directed by Pailin Wedel and produced by Netflix. It follows the Tham Luang cave rescue, a 2018 mission that saved a junior association football team from a flooded cave.

References

  1. ↑ Nick Allen; Francesca Marshall; Victoria Ward (4 July 2018). "Thailand cave rescue: Meet the 'A-Team' of heroic volunteer British divers who led search". The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group Limited. Archived from the original on 3 July 2018. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  2. ↑ "Stanton, Rick, MBE". Diving Almanac Book of Records. 5 February 2019. Archived from the original on 17 March 2019. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 Hanwell, J.; Price, D.; Witcombe, R. (2010). Wookey Hole: 75 Years of Cave Diving & Exploration (PDF). Cave Diving Group. ISBN   978-0901031075.
  4. 1 2 3 "Rick Stanton". Divernet. October 2007. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 "Thailand cave rescue: The Brits who helped find the boys". BBC News. BBC. 3 July 2018. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  6. ↑ "Military cavers rescued by Royal Navy in 'gentle' trip that became PR disaster". The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group Limited. 26 March 2004. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  7. ↑ "South and Mid Wales experts join Ardeche cave rescue". BBC News. BBC. 11 October 2010. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  8. ↑ "Cave explorer found dead after dramatic eight-day search". France 24. 12 October 2010. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  9. ↑ Siggins, Lorna (12 September 2011). "British rescue team recovers body of missing cave diver". The Irish Times. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  10. ↑ Kremer, William (9 May 2016). "The cave divers who went back for their friends". BBC News. Retrieved 3 July 2018. World-renowned for his rescue and recovery work in caves, Stanton had a feeling he would be asked to travel to Plurdalen to retrieve the bodies - he had done a recovery there in 2006 - and had already started to find out what he could.
  11. ↑ Low, Valentine (4 July 2018). "British divers Richard Stanton and John Volanthen at the heart of the Thai cave rescue" . Retrieved 22 July 2018– via www.thetimes.co.uk.
  12. ↑ "Meet the British 'A-team' divers at the center of Thailand cave rescue". Washington Post. 3 July 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  13. ↑ "British divers insist they are not heroes after Thai cave rescue". The Irish Times. 13 July 2018. Retrieved 14 July 2018.
  14. ↑ Rosemary E Lunn "The Rescue - A Definitive Documentary on Saving the Thai Cave 13" Archived 27 December 2021 at the Wayback Machine DIVE magazine
  15. ↑ "Thailand cave rescue: 'Best of the best' enlisted to find boys and coach". The New Zealand Herald . NZME. 3 July 2018. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  16. ↑ "Records and Aquatic Superlatives". Diving Almanac. Diving Almanac & Book of Records. 3 July 2018. Archived from the original on 11 January 2020. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  17. ↑ "TEKCAMP LUMINARIES". TEKCAMP. Vobster Diving Ltd. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  18. ↑ Rider, Helen (October 2006). "FRENCH LEAVE". Divernet. Genius CMS Ltd. Archived from the original on 5 July 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  19. ↑ Stanton, Rick. "Tham Luang cave rescue: The extraordinary story of how the boys were saved".
  20. ↑ Aquanaut. 25 August 2022.
  21. 1 2 Roy, Eleanor Ainge (2 July 2018). "British divers at heart of Thai cave rescue among best in world". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media Limited. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  22. ↑ Gallant, Jeffrey (20 November 2017). "Awards Hall of Fame". Diving Almanac. Diving Almanac & Book of Records. Archived from the original on 23 January 2021. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  23. ↑ Royal Humane Society (2012). Annual Report 2012 (PDF) (Report). Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 April 2019. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  24. ↑ "Coventry fireman is made MBE in New Year Honours". Coventry Telegraph. 29 December 2012. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  25. ↑ "No. 60367". The London Gazette (1st supplement). 28 December 2012. p. 22.
  26. ↑ "Displaying items by tag: 2018 - Pride of Britain Awards". Pride of Britain. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  27. ↑ Rosemary E Lunn 7 Medals and a Cave Dive - New Year's Honour Awards for the Thai Rescuers X-Ray Magazine
  28. 1 2 "Honours for Thai cave rescue divers". BBC News. 28 December 2018.
  29. ↑ Rosemary E Lunn Rick Stanton presented with Explorers Club 'Chapter Coin' X-Ray Magazine
  30. ↑ "Coventry diver Rick Stanton honoured over Thai cave rescue". BBC News. 4 September 2018.
  31. ↑ "Heroism of Thai cave rescuer Rick Stanton to be recognised". 3 August 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.