Editor’s note: This story has been updated to state that Intermap Technologies is headquartered in Colorado and has offices in Calgary.
A company with offices in Calgary is helping in the rescue of a group of Thai soccer players and their coach from the underground cave in Thailand.
Intermap Technologies, which has its headquarters in Colorado, has designed a three-dimensional image of the interior of the cave in hopes of finding the best possible rescue route.
“It was understanding the dynamic while the rain was coming down so heavily, where the kids were likely, or possibly could be, in order to find them.”
The soccer team has been trapped in the cave since June. The unprecedented effort to rescue them from the cave has been watched closely around the world.
“It’s definitely a tricky rescue. Due to all of the different challenges of the flooded passages, the low visibility, the tight squeezes, even underwater that they have to negotiate,” said Christian Stenner, Alberta provincial coordinator for Alberta B.C Cave Rescue.
On Monday, four boys were rescued from the cave, increasing the total number of rescued to eight. The plan is for the remaining five to be rescued on Tuesday.
Cave rescues are extremely rare in Canada. In Alberta and B.C., for example, rescue crews are only called underground about once a year.
“That usually means having a helmet, three sources of light, the right technical gear, watching the weather if that’s going to be a concern and being prepared with food and water for more than, you know, the length of time you prepare to be underground,” Stenner said.
WATCH: Thai cave rescue operation resumes for the remaining 8 boys and their coach
Some caves within Canada, specifically within the mountains and on Vancouver Island, can be prone to flooding.
With files from Huyana Cyprien