After their Oscar-winning movie "Free Solo," about a daredevil rock climber, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin found an even more remarkable true story for their next film -- the rescue of a boys' soccer team from a Thai cave in 2018.

The husband-and-wife team had watched transfixed with the rest of the world as amateur divers, Navy SEALS and hundreds of volunteers pulled off a seemingly impossible rescue through miles of dark, perilous, flooded caves.

Once the 12 boys and their coach had been plucked miraculously from their subterranean prison, the documentary makers teamed with National Geographic to tell the inside story in "The Rescue," out in theaters October 8.

"It moved us as humans, as Asian parents and as storytellers. I think that this really is one of the great stories of the last 10 years," Vasarhelyi told AFP.

The directors sifted through 87 hours of never-before-seen footage -- obtained from the Thai Navy Seals after two years' of negotiations during which military chiefs "said no in every possible form of 'no'," Chin recalled.

"For me it wasn't fair -- if it existed the world needed to see it," said Vasarhelyi.&nbsp;

The behind-the-scenes footage shows the euphoric moment two British divers returned to the cave's entrance with news they had located the children, and the precarious pulley contraption used to transfer them on stretchers out of the final cavern.

But the film focuses mainly on the personalities and back stories of the rescue's unlikely heroes.

The rag-tag group of middle-aged hobbyists' unique skillsets and homemade equipment enabled them to reach sections of the cave that military divers could not begin to fathom.

"Here are these weekend warriors -- one's a retired fireman, one's a meteorologist, an IT consultant, an electrician," said Vasarhelyi.

"They're kind of misfits, they feel awkward, they have found purpose in this very strange subculture of cave diving on the weekends, which has allowed them to become the best in the world."

The divers not only appear in interviews, but re-enacted key moments of the rescue on camera for the movie.

"This is the first film that we've made that we weren't present for the principal action," Vasarhelyi.

"The only way to really understand the gravity of tying a kid's arms together behind their back and putting their head underwater is when you see it."

- 'Risk everything' -

The interviews reveal hair-raising details about the rescue, for which the children were injected with a cocktail of drugs to sedate then.

One diver bringing out a child became disoriented and ended up swimming backwards to the previous cave -- following an electrical cable -- after losing his dive rope.

Another accidentally stabbed himself with a ketamine syringe while underwater with a child who was recovering consciousness. Thankfully, it was empty at the time.

For Vasarhelyi, one of the rescue's most compelling features was the personal risk shouldered by the amateur divers, who were warned by embassies they could land in Thai jail if any of the children died, and given extraction plans in case it failed.

"If you're the only person in the world who can save these kids, are you going to risk everything to try to do it? And can we be our best selves? And what is the consequence of that?" she said.

"I think that even going to Thai prison would probably pale to what it would have been like to live with yourself, knowing that you participated in the death of 13 people," she added.

"And I don't think we can really ever overstate -- they really considered that saving one child would be a success."

Notably absent from the film is Elon Musk, who infamously traveled to Thailand with a prototype mini-submarine which was rejected as unusable by the divers -- triggering a bizarre spat.

"This is such a rich story, and that particular incident really had no impact on the rescue itself," said Vasarhelyi.

"It felt like a diversion -- it just took away from the principal action. So we thought as it wasn't a big deal to the rescue itself, it shouldn't be a big deal in our film."

After their Oscar-winning movie "Free Solo," about a daredevil rock climber, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin found an even more remarkable true story for their next film -- the rescue of a boys' soccer team from a Thai cave in 2018.

After their Oscar-winning movie "Free Solo," about a daredevil rock climber, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin found an even more remarkable true story for their next film -- the rescue of a boys' soccer team from a Thai cave in 2018. The husband-and-wife team had watched transfixed with the rest of the world as amateur divers, Navy SEALS and hundreds of volunteers pulled off a seemingly impossible rescue through miles of dark, perilous, flooded caves. Once the 12 boys and their coach had been plucked miraculously from their subterranean prison, the documentary makers teamed with National Geographic to tell the inside story in "The Rescue," out in theaters October 8. "It moved us as humans, as Asian parents and as storytellers. I think that this really is one of the great stories of the last 10 years," Vasarhelyi told AFP. The directors sifted through 87 hours of never-before-seen footage -- obtained from the Thai Navy Seals after two years' of negotiations during which military chiefs "said no in every possible form of 'no'," Chin recalled. "For me it wasn't fair -- if it existed the world needed to see it," said Vasarhelyi. The behind-the-scenes footage shows the euphoric moment two British divers returned to the cave's entrance with news they had located the children, and the precarious pulley contraption used to transfer them on stretchers out of the final cavern. But the film focuses mainly on the personalities and back stories of the rescue's unlikely heroes. The rag-tag group of middle-aged hobbyists' unique skillsets and homemade equipment enabled them to reach sections of the cave that military divers could not begin to fathom. "Here are these weekend warriors -- one's a retired fireman, one's a meteorologist, an IT consultant, an electrician," said Vasarhelyi. "They're kind of misfits, they feel awkward, they have found purpose in this very strange subculture of cave diving on the weekends, which has allowed them to become the best in the world." The divers not only appear in interviews, but re-enacted key moments of the rescue on camera for the movie. "This is the first film that we've made that we weren't present for the principal action," Vasarhelyi. "The only way to really understand the gravity of tying a kid's arms together behind their back and putting their head underwater is when you see it." - 'Risk everything' - The interviews reveal hair-raising details about the rescue, for which the children were injected with a cocktail of drugs to sedate then. One diver bringing out a child became disoriented and ended up swimming backwards to the previous cave -- following an electrical cable -- after losing his dive rope. Another accidentally stabbed himself with a ketamine syringe while underwater with a child who was recovering consciousness. Thankfully, it was empty at the time. For Vasarhelyi, one of the rescue's most compelling features was the personal risk shouldered by the amateur divers, who were warned by embassies they could land in Thai jail if any of the children died, and given extraction plans in case it failed. "If you're the only person in the world who can save these kids, are you going to risk everything to try to do it? And can we be our best selves? And what is the consequence of that?" she said. "I think that even going to Thai prison would probably pale to what it would have been like to live with yourself, knowing that you participated in the death of 13 people," she added. "And I don't think we can really ever overstate -- they really considered that saving one child would be a success." Notably absent from the film is Elon Musk, who infamously traveled to Thailand with a prototype mini-submarine which was rejected as unusable by the divers -- triggering a bizarre spat. "This is such a rich story, and that particular incident really had no impact on the rescue itself," said Vasarhelyi. "It felt like a diversion -- it just took away from the principal action. So we thought as it wasn't a big deal to the rescue itself, it shouldn't be a big deal in our film."

'The Rescue' unearths rare footage of Thai cave saga

A Thai Navy SEAL who aided with the rescue of a youth football team trapped in a flooded cave last year has died from an infection he contracted during the dramatic recovery mission.

Petty Officer Beirut Pakbara fell ill with a blood infection while working to retrieve the 12 young boys and their coach, the Thai Navy said in a statement posted late Friday on their Facebook page.

After the 18-day ordeal came to an end last June -- with the entire team emerging safely from Tham Luang cave in northern Thailand -- he was under close supervision by doctors during his yearlong illness.

"But his condition worsened and he died from the blood infection," said the Navy, expressing "profound sadness" to his family.

An official in Beirut's home province of Satun told AFP the Navy SEAL was immediately buried on Friday after he died following Islamic funeral rituals.

Another rescuer, former Thai Navy SEAL diver Saman Gunan, also died during the rescue mission when he ran out of oxygen while attempting to establish an airline to the children and their coach.

A statue of the hero diver has been erected near the cave's entrance, attracting more than 1.3 million tourists since the 12 youngsters and the coach were extracted from their watery jail.

The rescue mission -- which included foreign expert divers and the Thai Navy -- drew extraordinary global interest to the mountainous district of Mae Sai.

The "Wild Boars" team became global celebrities and have since toured the world, meeting footballing giants at Manchester United and LA Galaxy and headlining Ellen Degeneres' US talk show.

The rescue has also attracted filmmakers eager to capture the dramatic operation onscreen -- with Netflix nabbing exclusive rights to tell the boys' story.

Another film, "The Cave" by Irish-Thai filmmaker Tom Waller, made it to silver screens in Thailand last month, though it focused more on the rescue efforts and even starred one of the foreign divers playing himself.

A Thai Navy SEAL who aided with the rescue of a youth football team trapped in a flooded cave last year has died from an infection he contracted during the dramatic recovery mission.

A Thai Navy SEAL who aided with the rescue of a youth football team trapped in a flooded cave last year has died from an infection he contracted during the dramatic recovery mission. Petty Officer Beirut Pakbara fell ill with a blood infection while working to retrieve the 12 young boys and their coach, the Thai Navy said in a statement posted late Friday on their Facebook page. After the 18-day ordeal came to an end last June -- with the entire team emerging safely from Tham Luang cave in northern Thailand -- he was under close supervision by doctors during his yearlong illness. "But his condition worsened and he died from the blood infection," said the Navy, expressing "profound sadness" to his family. An official in Beirut's home province of Satun told AFP the Navy SEAL was immediately buried on Friday after he died following Islamic funeral rituals. Another rescuer, former Thai Navy SEAL diver Saman Gunan, also died during the rescue mission when he ran out of oxygen while attempting to establish an airline to the children and their coach. A statue of the hero diver has been erected near the cave's entrance, attracting more than 1.3 million tourists since the 12 youngsters and the coach were extracted from their watery jail. The rescue mission -- which included foreign expert divers and the Thai Navy -- drew extraordinary global interest to the mountainous district of Mae Sai. The "Wild Boars" team became global celebrities and have since toured the world, meeting footballing giants at Manchester United and LA Galaxy and headlining Ellen Degeneres' US talk show. The rescue has also attracted filmmakers eager to capture the dramatic operation onscreen -- with Netflix nabbing exclusive rights to tell the boys' story. Another film, "The Cave" by Irish-Thai filmmaker Tom Waller, made it to silver screens in Thailand last month, though it focused more on the rescue efforts and even starred one of the foreign divers playing himself.

Thai Navy SEAL dies after yearlong infection after cave rescue

Thailand has reopened the cave where 12 young footballers and their coach were trapped last year in a saga that captivated the world.&nbsp;

The Tham Luang cave has been closed to visitors since the Wild Boars football team were rescued alive after nearly three weeks inside the grotto's waterlogged corridors. &nbsp; &nbsp;

But the world-famous cave in northern Chiang Rai province was reopened Friday, drawing some 2,000 tourists in a single day, a local conservation official told AFP.&nbsp;

"We have allowed visitors to see the mouth of the cave," said Kamolchai Kotcha, director of the local conservation office that overseas the cave.

Guests are not allowed beyond the entrance for now, where they can peer into the cave opening, but officials said they were considering allowing people deeper inside after surveying the safety of the route.&nbsp;

Some of the rescue equipment left behind -- including telephone wires, hoses and zip lines -- could be exhibited inside the cave for visitors to view in the future, Kotcha said.&nbsp;

Photos from the opening on Friday showed tourists at the site's entry, where last year the boys' bikes and backpacks were found -- alerting local police they were likely inside.&nbsp;

The Wild Boars went into Tham Luang in June 2018 for a routine hike after football practice but became trapped after heavy rains blocked the only route out.

Hundreds of people descended on the remote site to help save the boys, who were found -- emaciated but alive -- on a muddy perch deep inside the cave after nine excruciating days of searching.&nbsp;

The boys were sedated and fitted out in full-face breathing masks before being pulled to safety through a hazardous underwater labyrinth.

Several books deals about the drama have been inked, and the first film about the rescue premiered this month at the Busan International Film Festival in South Korea.&nbsp;

Thailand has reopened the cave where 12 young footballers and their coach were trapped last year in a saga that captivated the world. The Tham Luang cave has been closed to visitors since the Wild Boars football team were rescued alive after nearly three weeks inside the grotto's waterlogged corridors.

Thailand has reopened the cave where 12 young footballers and their coach were trapped last year in a saga that captivated the world. The Tham Luang cave has been closed to visitors since the Wild Boars football team were rescued alive after nearly three weeks inside the grotto's waterlogged corridors. But the world-famous cave in northern Chiang Rai province was reopened Friday, drawing some 2,000 tourists in a single day, a local conservation official told AFP. "We have allowed visitors to see the mouth of the cave," said Kamolchai Kotcha, director of the local conservation office that overseas the cave. Guests are not allowed beyond the entrance for now, where they can peer into the cave opening, but officials said they were considering allowing people deeper inside after surveying the safety of the route. Some of the rescue equipment left behind -- including telephone wires, hoses and zip lines -- could be exhibited inside the cave for visitors to view in the future, Kotcha said. Photos from the opening on Friday showed tourists at the site's entry, where last year the boys' bikes and backpacks were found -- alerting local police they were likely inside. The Wild Boars went into Tham Luang in June 2018 for a routine hike after football practice but became trapped after heavy rains blocked the only route out. Hundreds of people descended on the remote site to help save the boys, who were found -- emaciated but alive -- on a muddy perch deep inside the cave after nine excruciating days of searching. The boys were sedated and fitted out in full-face breathing masks before being pulled to safety through a hazardous underwater labyrinth. Several books deals about the drama have been inked, and the first film about the rescue premiered this month at the Busan International Film Festival in South Korea.

Thai cave reopens for visitors after Wild Boars rescue

Some of the Thai football players and their coach have marked the anniversary of their experience of being trapped then eventually rescued in a flooded cave with a commemorative marathon Sunday that was attended by thousands of people in northern Thailand.

Thousands mark anniversary of Thai cave rescue

Twelve&nbsp;Thai&nbsp;boys and their football coach, who were dramatically rescued from a flooded cave in July, enjoyed a high-profile kickabout on Sunday (October 07), playing a game at River Plate's iconic Monumental stadium.

The team, known as the 'Wild Boars', are honoured guests at the Youth Olympics in the Argentine capital after their rescue gripped the world.

Dressed in violet jerseys with the team logo of the record Argentine champions, they faced River's under-13 team, entering the pitch to loud applause from their opponents.

For the record the final score was 3-3.

The team were greeted by Rodolfo D'Onofrio, president of River Plate, whose vast stadium was the site of the 1978 World Cup final.

The boys, aged 11 to 16 at the time, and their 25-year-old coach, Ekapol Chanthawong, had been exploring Chiang Rai's Tham Luang cave on June 23 when they became trapped.

They survived nine days on water dripping from rocks before they were discovered on a muddy mound by divers.

A dramatic, international rescue effort ended on July 10 when they were all brought out safely after an ordeal that made headlines around the world.

They have since been showered with invitations, among them to fly to the Argentine capital and attend the Youth Olympic Games.

The boys, who were also guests of honour at the Games opening ceremony in Buenos Aires on Saturday (October 06), will leave on Tuesday (October 09).

Twelve Thai boys and their football coach, who were dramatically rescued from a flooded cave in July, enjoyed a high-profile kickabout on Sunday (October 07), playing a game at River Plate's iconic Monumental stadium.

Twelve Thai boys and their football coach, who were dramatically rescued from a flooded cave in July, enjoyed a high-profile kickabout on Sunday (October 07), playing a game at River Plate's iconic Monumental stadium. The team, known as the 'Wild Boars', are honoured guests at the Youth Olympics in the Argentine capital after their rescue gripped the world. Dressed in violet jerseys with the team logo of the record Argentine champions, they faced River's under-13 team, entering the pitch to loud applause from their opponents. For the record the final score was 3-3. The team were greeted by Rodolfo D'Onofrio, president of River Plate, whose vast stadium was the site of the 1978 World Cup final. The boys, aged 11 to 16 at the time, and their 25-year-old coach, Ekapol Chanthawong, had been exploring Chiang Rai's Tham Luang cave on June 23 when they became trapped. They survived nine days on water dripping from rocks before they were discovered on a muddy mound by divers. A dramatic, international rescue effort ended on July 10 when they were all brought out safely after an ordeal that made headlines around the world. They have since been showered with invitations, among them to fly to the Argentine capital and attend the Youth Olympic Games. The boys, who were also guests of honour at the Games opening ceremony in Buenos Aires on Saturday (October 06), will leave on Tuesday (October 09).

Thailand's cave boys enjoy kick about at iconic River Plate stadium

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'The Rescue' unearths rare footage of Thai cave saga

Thai Navy SEAL dies after yearlong infection after cave rescue

Thai cave reopens for visitors after Wild Boars rescue

Thousands mark anniversary of Thai cave rescue

Thailand's cave boys enjoy kick about at iconic River Plate stadium