Canadian diver Erik Brown, who helped rescue the Thai football team trapped in a flooded cave in 2018, has died aged 44.
Mr Brown and an international team of specialist divers spent nine days working inside the Tham Luang cave complex, where 12 members of the Wild Boars football team, aged between 11 and 16, and their coach had been trapped by floodwater.
Friends and family announced his death on September 26. The exact date and cause have not been confirmed.
During the rescue, Mr Brown transported air cylinders and equipment through the cave, installed and maintained guidelines, and supported the chain of divers navigating its flooded passages. He spent 63 hours inside the cave over seven separate missions.
His contribution earned him Canada’s Medal of Bravery, the country’s third-highest award for acts of bravery.
The rescue became an international sensation and later inspired films, documentaries, a Netflix series and books.
Mr Brown worked alongside British cave divers Richard Stanton, Robert Harper and John Volanthen, who were sent to Thailand because of their expertise in exploring underground systems.
Major Buncha Duriyapan, commander of the 37th Military District in Chiang Rai, said at the time that the British divers went straight to the cave after landing. “The expert divers went straight from the plane into the cave to make an assessment,” he said.
When asked about the operation, Mr Volanthen told the BBC: “We’ve got a job to do.”
Tributes to Mr Brown have since been paid by friends and relatives. One friend described him as “the brightest light” and “one of the kindest humans I have ever met”, adding: “I was instantly drawn to him and loved him like a brother.”
Another tribute said: “I can’t quite believe you’re gone, so incredibly lucky to have known and loved you.”
Mr Brown’s brother Kirk previously praised his conduct during the rescue, telling Canadian media: “I’m very proud of him, not just on how he handled himself during the rescue, but how he’s handled discussing it after. He’s just talked with pride about everybody he worked with, how they were a team.”
