Rick Stanton is a world-leading cave diving specialist who rose to worldwide notoriety for his instrumental role in the treacherous Tham Luang cave rescue operation of 13 people in Thailand. For the past few decades, Rick has been a prominent figure in the rescue and recovery efforts for major caving incidents around the world, in collaboration with the Cave Rescue Organisation and the British Cave Rescue Council. He is now highly sought after for speaking engagements, where audiences eagerly await his thrilling rescue anecdotes and his profound insight into cave diving excellence.
From an early age, Rick showcased an interest in becoming a cave diver after watching the inspirational documentary, The Underground Eiger, which detailed the record-breaking cave dive of 6,000ft, completed by pioneer divers Geoff Yeadon and Oliver Statham. Whilst a student at Aston University, he joined the caving and diving clubs, gaining experience in cave diving. Through entirely self-taught efforts, Rick gained further diving experience by regularly practising in the River Lune. After finishing his studies at university, he joined the West Midlands Fire Service as a Firefighter, spending 25 years there before his retirement.
Having established himself as a gifted cave diver, Rick became a highly sought-after expert for rescue missions. In 2004 he was involved in rescuing six British cavers trapped in Alpazat caverns in Mexico and has since conducted several international operations, including the Dragonniere Guad Cave in France, Kiltartan Cave in Ireland and the Jordbrugotta in Norway. For his distinguished bravery and rescue efforts, Rick was awarded the Pride of Britain Award for Outstanding Bravery in 2018 and the Royal Humane Society’s bronze medal in 2012. Outside his rescue missions, Rick has also broken multiple world records, such as the longest cave penetration dive at 8,800m in 2010 and the greatest depth achieved in a British cave at 76m in 2004.
To document his exhilarating rescue mission at the Tham Luang caves in 2018, Rick recently published The Sunday Times bestselling book, Aquanaut. Furthermore, Netflix produced the film, The Trapped 13, which vividly describes the rescue efforts conducted by Rick. A courageous hero, who has repeatedly risked his life to save others, Rick was awarded the George Medal for his gallantry. Recognised among the greatest cave divers in the world, Rick is constantly pioneering technology and pushing the boundaries of cave diving. As such, he is a highly demanded-speaker who captivates audiences with his extraordinary rescue anecdotes and cave-diving expertise.
