99 Humanitarian Assistance From June 30 to July 1, 2018, rescue teams created this map to provide real-world dimensions of cave passages and distances between sections. The dive team used this map for context when planning and operating the search mission. Finding a Common Language Early on, the Thailand Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) brought together GIS and mapping experts from Esri Thailand and GIS Co. Ltd. to create a portfolio of maps to help locate the trapped boys. Using GIS, different organizations involved in the search and rescue added their data and insights to build a holistic picture of the challenge. The maps showed the complete context of the cave from different perspectives from both above and below. Staff from the Royal Irrigation Department surveyed the area’s geology using electrical resistivity techniques to determine the source of the water that was flooding the cave. Mapping experts interpreted the data to find sinkholes that might be acting as water funnels, and they created 3D maps to show where aboveground streams stopped and went underground. With this range of maps, responders modeled the terrain and determined where diversions could be built to reduce the flow of water into the cave. A collaborative team comprising engineers from the Department of Royal Irrigation, experts from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation, and soldiers from the Royal Thai Army worked together to construct dams and install pipes that diverted water onto nearby rice paddies. Despite incessant rain, water levels within the cave started to drop. As rescuers journeyed into the cave in search of where the trapped team was located, they marked their progress on a map, recording the maze of passageways and chambers to make sure they did not miss an area of the cave in their search. Rescue divers used maps of the cave system to study all the twists and turns and guide them through murky water to reach the trapped team. As the mission shifted from search to rescue, maps relayed near real-time readings of oxygen levels and changes in water depth. These maps kept everyone focused on the immediate tasks at hand. As the story riveted people around the world, it became a matter of national pride to use the maps to show how many people were working together and how their collaborative action achieved a remarkable outcome.
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