People Are Roasting Elon Musk After He Got Real Salty About The Thailand Cave Rescue
They're coming out of the cave, Elon's not doing fine.
In case you haven’t already heard the joyous news, the junior soccer team trapped for more than two weeks in a flooded cave complex in northern Thailand has finally been rescued.
The boys emerged from the caves late on Tuesday along with a team of Thai Navy SEALs after a massive coordinated effort involving hundreds of divers, experts, officials and volunteers. Their rescue has been celebrated around the globe, and praised as an inspiring example of international cooperation in an increasingly divided world.
Also, Elon Musk was there.
The tech billionaire has been trying to insert himself into the rescue operation for some time now, and recently visited Chiang Rai to drop off a mini submarine he believed could help get the boys out.
Testing underwater in LA pool pic.twitter.com/CDO2mtjP2D
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 8, 2018
With some mods, this could also work as an escape pod in space
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 8, 2018
Just returned from Cave 3. Mini-sub is ready if needed. It is made of rocket parts & named Wild Boar after kids’ soccer team. Leaving here in case it may be useful in the future. Thailand is so beautiful. pic.twitter.com/EHNh8ydaTT
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 9, 2018
The team in charge of the rescue operations ultimately decided not to take Musk up on his offer, with Chiang Rai Governor Narongsak Osatanakorn telling the BBC that the submarine was “not practical”.
“Even though their equipment is technologically sophisticated, it doesn’t fit with our mission to go in the cave,” Osatanakorn said.
To which Musk responded with a stroppy tweet declaring that Osatanakorn was “not the subject matter expert”. He also shared his email correspondence with Dick Stanton, the British diver who helped locate the trapped boys.
The former Thai provincial governor (described inaccurately as “rescue chief”) is not the subject matter expert. That would be Dick Stanton, who co-led the dive rescue team. This is our direct correspondence: pic.twitter.com/dmC9l3jiZR
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 10, 2018
Musk went on to insist that the mini-sub definitely would have worked.
Moreover, based on extensive cave video review & discussion with several divers who know journey, SpaceX engineering is absolutely certain that mini-sub can do entire journey & demonstrate at any time.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 10, 2018
Of course, whether or not Musk is right about the sub is sort of beside the point, since a) the boys have already been rescued, and b) he’s been acting like a bit of a tosser, and the internet is letting him know about it.
[crowd gathers to watch firefighters enter a burning high rise]
ELON MUSK [from crowd]: hey guys i just designed a reverse flame thrower that shoots water at fires! [leans in to whisper to firefighter performing cpr] im just gonna leave it here by the fire hose if you need it
— TORMABLAIEFDHZSJKLNBDSFEJKL PICKASDFJKLFDSNMKOFDSJ (@Tormny_Pickeals) July 10, 2018
In retrospect I see a few aspects of Elon Musk’s submarine that might’ve proved impractical for cave-rescue purposes pic.twitter.com/3hEyiIkibc
— Eric Allen Hatch (@ericallenhatch) July 10, 2018
Me: “Can you pass me the salt?”
Elon Musk: “I shall build you a gleaming automaton from the purest titanium, filled with nanobots, once complete, he will pass you–”
Me: “It’s cool, I’ll just hop up and grab it.”
Elon Musk: (sulks)— Kevin Seccia (@kevinseccia) July 10, 2018
Elon Musk is like that dude who shows up at the end of the group project after most of the work is completed, contributes like ONE THING, and expects to get praised for his teamwork.
— Elizabeth M. (@_ElizabethMay) July 10, 2018
congratulations to elon musk for constructing the world’s smallest violin to play for himself.
— Colley (@JamColley) July 10, 2018
Elon Musk is a real-life superhero (in that he’s an over-reaching grandiose middle-aged man with a lot of issues)
— MKupperman (@MKupperman) July 10, 2018
The hardest part of the Thai kids’ escape from the cave was having to swim between all the rescue devices Elon Musk left floating around.
— MAD Magazine (@MADmagazine) July 10, 2018
help me elon musk i’m stuck in a cave and the only way to get out is to let your workers unionize
— Gray (@zaogon) July 10, 2018
Elon Musk is going to trap another soccer team in a cave just so he can prove that his mini-submarine works.
— Joe Pontillo (@JoePontillo) July 10, 2018
Where was Elon Musk when my parents were splitting up?
— Jim Tews (@jimtews) July 10, 2018
now put Elon in the cave
— Naaman Zhou (@naamanzhou) July 10, 2018
Internet, you done good.
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Images of Musk via Wikimedia.