ABC News Plans Second 20/20 on Thailand Caves Rescue

By Brian Steinberg

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Interest in the miraculous rescue of 12 boys from a flooded network of caves in Thailand remains fervent enough to fuel a second “20/20” broadcast about the event on ABC.

On Friday, July 27, the newsmagazine will focus on a report from Matt Gutman, the news unit’s chief national correspondent, as he interviews two British divers who were part of the team that helped bring the boys, part of a youth soccer team, to safety. The broadcast will start at 10 p.m. eastern.

One diver, Jason Mallinson, tells the reporter that one of the boys began to wake up while in neck-deep water and had to be re-injected with ketamine. Another, Chris Jewell describes the moment he got lost after losing hold of the guideline while leading one boy out of the cave. Gutman also interviews Major Charles Hodges and Master Sergeant Derek Anderson, two members of the U.S. military who played key roles in the rescue operation.

“” will also  report new details about: how the rescue teams first practiced the techniques they used in the cave in a pool with local children; the cave’s perilous landscape; the divers from all over the world who assisted with the rescue mission; the medical risks associated with bringing the boys out; the sophisticated system created to safely transport the boys through the cave; and how the boys were able to survive before they were found.

The program is anchored by David Muir and Amy Robach. David Sloan is senior executive producer.