Richard Stanton (cave diver)

Rick Stanton
MBE
Born Richard William Stanton
1961/62
Epping Forest, Essex, United Kingdom
Nationality British
Education Aston University
Occupation Firefighter
Known for Cave diving, cave rescue

Richard William Stanton MBE (born 1961/62),[1] also known as Rick Stanton, is a British civilian cave diver who specializes in rescues through the Cave Rescue Organisation and the British Cave Rescue Council. He has been called "one of the world's most accomplished cave-divers", "the face of British cave diving," and "the best cave diver in Europe". Stanton is from Coventry and was formerly a firefighter with the West Midlands Fire Service for 25 years prior to his retirement. In 2018 he played a leading role in the Tham Luang cave rescue.

Early life

Stanton grew up in Epping Forest District in Essex.[2] He attributes his interest in cave diving to a television programme he watched as a teenager, The Underground Eiger, saying, "After watching it, I just knew that cave-diving was for me."[3] Stanton studied at Aston University, where he joined both the caving and the diving clubs.[2] He began as a self-taught diver in the River Lune in Cumbria and Lancashire.[3]

Stanton is from Coventry and was formerly a firefighter with the West Midlands Fire Service for 25 years prior to his retirement.[4]

Caving and rescues

Rescues

Stanton usually cave dives and conducts rescues with a partner, John Volanthen. In 2004 he was involved in the rescue of six British cavers who were trapped in a cave at the Alpazat caverns in Mexico for eight days.[5] Stanton was also part of a team that attempted a cave rescue of Eric Establie, in the Dragonnière Gaud Cave near Labastide-de-Virac in the Ardèche region of France, in 2010 which was ultimately unsuccessful.[6]

In 2011, Stanton assisted in the recovery of the body of Polish cave diver Artur Kozłowski from Pollonora cave at Kiltartan, Ireland.[7]

Norwegian authorities asked him to assist to recover the bodies of two Finnish divers from Jordbrugrotta in 2014, but after diving down to the site he and his colleagues deemed the operation too risky.[8]

In 2018, he helped locate a youth soccer team in the Tham Luang cave rescue.[4][9] After locating and participating in the rescue of the missing team and its coach, Stanton said that he and the other cave divers involved were not heroes, saying, "We’re just using a very unique skill set, which we normally use for our own interest and sometimes we’re able to use that to give something back to the community."[10]

Records

In 2004 Stanton and Volanthen set a world record for greatest depth achieved in a British cave, cave diving 76 m (249 ft) at Wookey Hole in Somerset.[11] In 2010 Stanton, Volanthen, Jason Mallinson, and René Houben set a world record for longest cave penetration dive, obtaining 8,800 m (28,900 ft) in the Pozo Azul cave system in the Rudrón Valley in Spain.[12]

Equipment

Stanton is a technical diver, developing his own diving gear to great effect. He developed two closed-circuit rebreather units; this novel technology has been "instrumental in his achieving cave diving depth records around the world."[13] One modification was to allow the rebreather to be worn on the side of the body rather than the chest or back. This is advantageous in fitting through smaller spaces. He builds prototypes of his designs and tests them in swimming pools before using them in caves.[2]

He also uses underwater scooters to dive more efficiently, traveling greater distances while conserving energy and oxygen supplies.[14]

Awards and honours

Stanton has been called "one of the world's most accomplished cave-divers",[3] "the face of British cave diving," and "the best cave diver in Europe".[15]

In 2008 he received the EUROTEK "Diver of the Conference Award" for his "significant contribution to advanced and technical diving." [16] Stanton's rescue attempt of a diver in a French cave, and assistance in identifying the location of that diver's body, earned him a medal from the Royal Humane Society in 2012.[17]

He was appointed a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2013 New Year Honours, "For services to Local Government".[4][18]

References

  1. ↑ Nick Allen; Francesca Marshall; Victoria Ward (4 July 2018). "Thailand cave rescue: Meet the 'A-Team' of heroic volunteer British divers who led search"". The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group Limited. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 Hanwell, J.; Price, D.; Witcombe, R. (2010). Wookey Hole: 75 Years of Cave Diving & Exploration (PDF). Cave Diving Group. ISBN 0901031070.
  3. 1 2 3 "Rick Stanton". Divernet. October 2007. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 "Thailand cave rescue: The Brits who helped find the boys". BBC News. BBC. 3 July 2018. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  5. ↑ "Military cavers rescued by Royal Navy in 'gentle' trip that became PR disaster". The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group Limited. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  6. ↑ "South and Mid Wales experts join Ardeche cave rescue". BBC News. BBC. 11 October 2010. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  7. ↑ Siggins, Lorna (12 September 2011). "British rescue team recovers body of missing cave diver". The Irish Times. The Irish Times. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  8. ↑ Kremer, William (9 May 2016). "The cave divers who went back for their friends". BBC News. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  9. ↑ "British divers Richard Stanton and John Volanthen at the heart of the Thai cave rescue". 4 July 2018. Retrieved 22 July 2018 – via www.thetimes.co.uk.
  10. ↑ "British divers insist they are not heroes after Thai cave rescue". The Irish Times. The Irish Times. 13 July 2018. Retrieved 14 July 2018.
  11. ↑ "Thailand cave rescue: 'Best of the best' enlisted to find boys and coach". nzherald.co.nz. NZME. 3 July 2018. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  12. ↑ "Records and Aquatic Superlatives". Diving Almanac. Diving Almanac & Book of Records. 3 July 2018. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  13. ↑ "TEKCAMP LUMINARIES". TEKCAMP. Vobster Diving Ltd. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  14. ↑ Rider, Helen (October 2006). "FRENCH LEAVE". Divernet. Genius CMS Ltd. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  15. ↑ Roy, Eleanor Ainge (2 July 2018). "British divers at heart of Thai cave rescue among best in world". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media Limited. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  16. ↑ Gallant, Jeffrey (20 November 2017). "Awards Hall of Fame". Diving Almanac. Diving Almanac & Book of Records. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  17. ↑ Royal Humane Society (2012). Annual Report 2012 (PDF) (Report). Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  18. ↑ "No. 60367". The London Gazette (1st supplement). 28 December 2012. p. 22.
  • Video on YouTube: Into the Darkness, a documentary of Stanton and John Volanthen's cave dive in northern Italy
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