If all else fails, Elon Musk will be there.
That’s the message he shared with a Twitter user who asked if he could help rescue the Thai boys and their coach who have been stuck in a cave in northern Thailand for nearly two weeks.
Musk wrote to the user that while he suspects that the Thai government “has this under control,” he would be “happy to help if there is a way to do so.”
I suspect that the Thai govt has this under control, but I’m happy to help if there is a way to do so
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 4, 2018
It is not clear if or how Musk will offer his services. However, one of the current rescue options involves drilling down into the cave where the team is stuck and rescue them in that way. Musk’s Boring Company, of course, is involved in below-surface tunneling. While the intended application for those tunnels is to eventually build his Hyperloop, an underground high-speed transit system, the same tools could perhaps be used to help rescue the boys as well.
Nevertheless, there have been concerns about drilling as the boys are currently close to one kilometer below the surface and in a confined space, so the operation could be dangerous. Authorities are therefore considering other options as well, including teaching the boys to dive out of the cave or draining the cave system.
Authorities hope to get the team out in the next couple of days before monsoon rains arrive over the weekend. If they are unable to, there is a risk that they could be trapped in the cave, cut off from supplies and communication, for several months.