Why rescue the team needs more oxygen?

Oxygen content in Tham Luang cave is low and 4 sections of 1.7 km long need to swim and dive. So the rescue campaign needed a lot of oxygen tanks for divers and students.

Minimum amount of oxygen

According to previous reports of the rescue force, the oxygen content in the cave is sometimes only 15% compared to the 21% standard to ensure human health. This is one of the reasons for the need for more oxygen for the campaign.

According to the US Federal Aviation Administration, if oxygen drops below 16% of the standard, symptoms such as headache, nausea, drowsiness, rapid breathing, chattering and impaired thinking ability, may occur. Some cases can lead to death.

Dinko Novosel, chairman of the European Cave Rescue Association, said the oxygen content in the cave at 15% is a dangerous problem. This level of oxygen is enough to sustain life but makes it difficult to exercise.

Rescue workers transfer oxygen cylinders to the rescue operation.(Photo: AFP).

Each diver needs 6 oxygen bottles

The rescue team moved to the place where the team was stuck in the opposite direction of the water, so they had to mobilize a lot to need more breathing. The water level in the cave has mostly dropped to the level that can pass.

However, four sections of the cave are 1.7 km long, from the command post at the 3rd cave to 'Nern Nom Sao' , where the team is stuck still deep and need to swim, a section needs to dive.

This cave section is forced to use oxygen tanks because the oxygen content in this area is quite low. Earlier, a diver died at this stage because of the oxygen depletion showing the danger level of cave rescue and the importance of spare oxygen tanks.

According to Sport Diver, a site specializing in sports scuba diving, a standard oxygen tank has a shelf life of about 60 minutes or less, depending on the user and the depth of the dive.

Most of the passage from the command post to the location of the team was stuck to use oxygen tanks to swim and dive.(Graphics: Bangkok Post).

Time for the rescue team to move from the main entrance to the stuck team position for about 6 hours. So each diver needs about 6 oxygen cylinders. 13 world-class divers and Thailand's SEAL task force are sent to rescue the team. They need at least 78 oxygen cylinders, not counting oxygen for students.

In addition, cave diving is very dangerous, unlike diving, if there is a problem, it can be raised to the surface. In the dark cave filled with water, it all depends on the oxygen tank. Rescue teams must arrange multiple oxygen cylinders along the exit for timely replacement when needed. That is another reason why oxygen demand increases.

Earlier, rescuers had moved a large amount of oxygen tanks arranged along stops in the cave, but most were used for supplies of supplies, ropes and communication equipment in the cave and first rescue.