We wouldn’t wager real money that Elon Musk, the man behind Tesla and SpaceX, is actually going to get involved in the ongoing effort to rescue the young soccer players and coach trapped in Chiang Rai provinces flooded Luang Cave, but the tech world star has publicly offered his help after being hit up by a Thai Twitter user this week.
In a brief online spitballing session that started on July 4 but resumed today and was ongoing as of about 30 minutes ago, Musk suggested a few ways his company might be able to lend a hand.
Aside from the fact that his Boring Co. (the one that specializes in tunnel construction) has “ground penetrating radar” and is “pretty good at digging holes,” Musk also suggested that he might be able to supply larger pumps to assist in the ongoing efforts to rid the long cavern of water, as well as fully charged “Powerpacks,” portable energy sources that rely on lithium batteries.
Jumping back online this afternoon, Musk then offered up the high-concept idea of inflating a nylon tube that would create an “air tunnel” that could conform to the odd shapes of the cave.
Sound preposterous? We’ll leave that to the rescue teams on the ground, who are continuing to pump water out of the cave and plan an extraction via diving equipment if it proves necessary.
Given the death of a former Thai Navy SEAL in the cave in the wee hours this morning, however, we doubt any legitimate options will go unexplored.
