For the heroic British divers who found a missing Thai football team in a flooded cave system, it was only the latest in a series of brave rescue missions around the globe.

Rick Stanton, 56, and 47-year-old John Volanthen had been called in by the Thai authorities last week along with fellow British caving experts Robert Harper, from Somerset, and Vern Unsworth.

The UK divers who reached the stranded group that had been missing for nine days were described as the "A Team" by Bill Whitehouse, vice chairman of the British Cave Rescue Council.

Click Here: nrl league jerseys

He told Radio 4’s Today programme: "They are really the sort of A-Team, if you like. They have been at the spearhead of making their way through because they…

Register for free to read this article, or log in to your Telegraph account

Register

Log in