SYDNEY, July 13 (Xinhua) -- A British diver in the operation to recover 12 boys and their soccer coach trapped in a flooded cave in Thailand, praised one of his Australian teammates' "very good bedside manner" that helped the trapped boys relax, local media reported.
Australian anaesthetist Richard Harris was tasked with medically assessing whether each boy was ready to evacuate and in what order, and he was the very last person out of the cave when the operation was completed on Tuesday, Australian media reported Friday.
"Dr Harris, he's very good, he's got a very good bedside manner," Australian media on Friday quoted British rescuer John Volanthen as saying.
"He's got a very bouncy Australian accent and they (the boys) seemed to find that quite relaxing and reassuring."
Set to go on a much needed holiday break, Harris and his friend Craig Challen who is also a fellow underwater cave explorer, had their plans interrupted when they received a call to join a total of 20 Australians who travelled to Thailand to help with the rescue.
The efforts of Harris were made all the more profound in recent days, when it was revealed that his father had passed away during his time in Thailand.
Deeply saddened by the news, the Thai Navy SEAL team offered their sympathies to Harris.
"Our condolences to Dr Richard Harris. We wish you the best for this very tough time," they posted on social media.
"We (can) never thank you enough for what you've done for the kids, their families and Thailand."
In response, Harris said in a joint statement with Challen that the pair were humbled to have been able to provide expertise and experience to assist in the international operation.
