British diver who helped rescued Thai football team from cave receives MBE at Buckingham Palace

Vernon Unsworth with his MBE
PA
Katy Clifton12 June 2019

A diver from north-west London who last year battled to save the football team trapped in a flooded cave in Thailand has been made an MBE for his heroic actions.

Vernon Unsworth, from Walthamstow, was among the team who helped save the 12 boys who became trapped deep inside the Tham Luang cave network by a flash flood in June last year.

The financial consultant was honoured for his service to cave diving on Wednesday at Buckingham Palace and described the experience in the Chiang Rai province as “very humbling and fascinating”.

But the 64-year-old’s heroics led to an extraordinary feud with Tesla chief Elon Musk after the rescue, over which he is suing the billionaire businessman for libel.

Vernon Unsworth has received an MBE
PA

Mr Unsworth said Mr Musk’s small submarine he touted for the rescue amounted to a "PR stunt", and Mr Musk retaliated by calling the diver a "pedo" in a tweet.

After receiving the MBE from Prince William, he said: "It doesn't detract from today. I've really got to think about other people and give them the enjoyment they deserve.

"Today is about today and is not anything else."

Mr Unsworth was among the British divers who answered a call by Thai authorities to join the vast search after the group disappeared in the cave system on June 23.

After the boys were discovered, rescuers still faced the treacherous task of getting the team safely, and the persistent threat of bad weather heightened the tension in a drama that gripped the world for more than two weeks.

Thailand Cave Rescue - In pictures

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Seven Royal Thai Navy Seals and a medic joined the boys in the cave and the youngsters were given diving lessons as authorities continued to weigh up the two options - wait for conditions to improve, or bring the boys out as soon as possible.

With further flooding expected and oxygen running low, the boys then had to be guided through nearly a mile of flooded caverns and tight passages and emerged from the cave system on July 10.

A rescue diver enters the Thai cave during the rescue operation
AFP/Getty Images

Also honoured on Wednesday was Sir Michael Palin, who managed to suppress a joke when collecting the “unbelievable” honour of a knighthood for his post-Monty Python career.

The writer and broadcaster was dubbed a knight by Prince William for services to travel, culture and geography, making him the first star of the sketch show to receive the honour.

The pair discussed travel, with Sir Michael resisting the temptation to crack a joke during the investiture at Buckingham Palace.

Sir Michael Palin from London is knighted
PA

"He talked about where I was going next, any parts of the world I really wanted to go that I hadn't already - to which I normally say Middlesbrough," the broadcaster said.

Instead he went for the far-flung location of Kazakhstan.

So far, Sir Michael is the only Python to be knighted - but he said John Cleese has turned down the chance.

"I think I'll probably be the only one. John's turned it down. I think so, yes. He's rather mysterious about that," Sir Michael said.

British actor and television presenter Michael Palin
AFP/Getty Images

It has not been confirmed that Mr Cleese opted against becoming a knight, but he did refuse a CBE in 1996 and said it was a greater honour to have a lemur named after him than it would be receiving a knighthood or peerage.

Sir Michael acknowledged his honour was for his later work and praised others for recognising talents he was never aware of.

He praised the "rather wonderful" experience of receiving an honour, which he said would have been "unbelievable" to his younger self 50 years ago when the Pythons formed.

"It's very, very nice to be recognised," he added.

Captain Hannah Graf, who became the most senior transgender woman in the British Army after beginning her transition during a tour of Afghanistan, also collected an MBE for her services to the LGBTQ community in the military.

Captain Hannah Graf with her MBE
PA

The 32-year-old member of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers praised the UK's embracing of the trans community in the military - and took aim at Donald Trump's ban in the US.

"I think they (the US) should absolutely reconsider their position because there are hardworking, highly-skilled, highly-motivated people with deep integrity who are losing their jobs in the US military because of this archaic law.

In contrast, Capt Graf, originally from Cardiff, said William was "very supportive" when discussing her experiences as well as his own of the transgender community in the RAF.

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