The paramedics who rescued that 12 boys who were trapped in a Thailand cave last year gave credit to the drug Ketamine for the success of the rescue.
According to details of the rescue released, the boys were given unspecified does released doses of ketamine, also known as party drug Special K.
Reports incident that the children had been sedated during the operation, but officials gave few details.
In a joint letter, three Thai medics and an Australian anesthetist who was involved in the rescue said the boys wore full face masks supplying oxygen and poorly fitting wetsuits.
The first four boys were given sunglasses to protect their eyes because they had not been exposed to the sun for more than 2 weeks and their necks immobilized in case of spinal injury during the journey through the narrow channels in the cave.
The medics said Ketamine was a good choice to give the boys, given the risk of hypothermia, as Ketamine impairs shivering and is associated with smaller drops in core body temperature.
It was clear that any rescue mission would be fraught with risk. Divers involved in the rescue described the conditions as some of the most extreme they have ever faced.
The decision to rescue the boys was complicated by the death of former Thai Navy SEAL Saman Kunan, who ran out of air while returning from an operation to deliver oxygen tanks to the cave.
