SAN FRANCISCO: Representatives for Elon Musk are in talks with Thai authorities about aiding in the rescue of a boys’ soccer team stuck in a cave, said a spokesman for the billionaire.
Mr Musk’s companies could help by trying to locate the boys’ precise location using Space Exploration Technologies Corp or Boring Co technology, pumping water or providing heavy-duty battery packs known as Tesla Inc Powerwalls, the spokesman said.
It’s unclear whether Thai officials will accept the offer.
Twelve boys and their coach, who had been missing since last month, were found by a pair of British cave divers late Monday. Efforts to rescue them are hampered by narrow passageways and rising waters in the cave system. Most of the boys cannot swim.
Last year, after a devastating hurricane hit Puerto Rico, the government there asked Mr Musk for help. Tesla sent Powerwalls and provided advice on rebuilding the Caribbean island’s infrastructure.
Over the last couple of days, Mr Musk posited possible ways his companies could help in Thailand. “I suspect that the Thai govt has this under control, but am happy to help if there is a way to do so,” he wrote on Twitter.
Mr Musk’s tunnelling startup Boring Co could potentially make available its massive drills or excavation expertise, but such an approach could be too dangerous for this mission.
Tesla Powerpacks are seen in Hornsdale, Australia, on Sept 29, 2017. (Tesla/Handout via Reuters)
