A team of British divers, who helped save a junior football team stranded in a flooded cave in Thailand, were awarded in Britain’s traditional New Year Honours alongside former supermodel Twiggy and others.
The seven underwater specialists involved in the remarkable rescue were also joined on the prestigious annual achievement list — announced on Friday — by Hollywood filmmaker Christopher Nolan and Jim Carter from the hit show “Downton Abbey”, among others.
Four of the divers were given awards for exceptional bravery while the three others were made Members of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE).
New Year Honours 2019: Hero Brit divers decorated for Thai cave rescue that gripped the world: A team of hero British divers have been decorated for their part in the dramatic rescue of 12 boys and their football coach who became stranded in a cave in… https://t.co/chV31htvZz pic.twitter.com/ZRMHx2pUFj
— #BangladeshNews24 – BreakingNews24™ (@bdnews24) December 28, 2018
Richard Stanton and John Volanthen — the first of the divers to reach the 12 stricken children and their coach — were awarded the George Medal, the country’s second highest civilian gallantry award.
Stanton had already been made an MBE in 2012 for his rescue services.
Fellow divers Christopher Jewell and Jason Mallinson receive the Queen’s Gallantry Medal, while Joshua Bratchley, Connor Roe and Vernon Unsworth were decorated with MBEs.
“For me, after saving the boys, this is the icing on the cake,” said Unsworth, who has also risen in fame after suing Tesla entrepreneur Elon Musk for labeling him a “pedo guy”.
“This was a team effort and I’m very honored to have been recognized, particularly as you don’t engage in a major rescue expecting this outcome,” he added.
Overall, 1,148 recipients were named in Queen Elizabeth II’s 2019 New Year Honours List.
