Elon Musk brings mini-sub to cave

This photo by Elon Musk shows the inside of the operation area of the rescue of the Mae Sai football team.

American space entrepreneur Elon Musk tweeted that he visited the Tham Luang cave operation on Monday and Tuesday morning, and left behind a prototype mini-sub "in case it is useful" at the flooded cave where five members of a youth football team remained trapped.

"Just returned from Cave 3," Musk said.

"Mini-sub is ready if needed. It is made of rocket parts & named Wild Boar after kids' soccer team. Leaving here in case it may be useful in the future."

Just returned from Cave 3. Mini-sub is ready if needed. It is made of rocket parts & named Wild Boar after kids’ soccer team. Leaving here in case it may be useful in the future. Thailand is so beautiful. pic.twitter.com/EHNh8ydaTT — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 9, 2018

On Instagram, he published video (below) of a flooded cave, with rescuers.

Cave Three is about two kilometres from the entrance of the cave network and is the base for rescuers.

The footballers still awaiting rescue are about another two kilometres further in, at a point very difficult to access.

There is no indication so far that Thai rescuers plan to use Musk's prototype.

This is Musk's video from inside the cave.

Just got back from Cave 3 A post shared by Elon Musk (@elonmusk) on Jul 9, 2018 at 2:43pm PDT

By Monday night, elite divers had managed to bring out eight members of the football team which included 12 boys and their 25-year-old coach.

The Thai rescue effort has been assisted by experts from around the world, and the death of a former Thai Navy Seal diver who ran out of oxygen in the cave on Friday underscored the dangers of the mission.

After garnering headlines with initial ideas of installing a giant air tube inside the cave complex and using his firm's penetrating radar to dig holes to reach the boys, Musk offered his idea for the mini-sub.

Musk: Offers his new mini-sub as a potential rescue vessel

He called it "basically a tiny, kid-size submarine using the liquid oxygen transfer tube of (a) Falcon rocket as hull."

Musk said it was light enough to be carried by two divers, robust, and small enough to get through narrow gaps.

The person inside need not swim or know how to use oxygen bottles.

He posted video of divers escorting the pod during testing in a Los Angeles swimming pool.

Last week, Musk said he was sending teams to Thailand from his private space exploration firm, SpaceX, and engineering firm, Boring Co. which is developing tunnelling systems for transport projects.

While offering the mini-submarine as a potential saviour, Musk used the opportunity to promote space exploration. He is also co-founder of the Tesla electric car company.

The Thai soccer team ventured into the Tham Luang cave complex after practice and became trapped by rising waters more than a fortnight ago.