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Comment by dekhn | Hacker News Reader

He wasn't a rescue diver, he was the local expert, having mapped the cave and knowing more about its structure than anybody else in the world. he was truly qualified to say that Elon's attempt wasn't going to work and was hogging to much attention.

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He didn't just say it wasn't going to work though, he told Elon to stick his submarine "where it hurts".

That said, Musk's comments were unnecessary.

But he initiated being derisive and mocking of another person whom was personally invited to help by the dive team. Contributed time and resources to the effort as per the instruction of the lead diver. Doesn't sound particularly heroic. People love to leave this out of the story that Vern Unsworth brought it on himself by initiating the negativity, wasn't a diver, and ultimately lost his case.

Yes, I agree he (vern) did "initiate it being derisive". It was a poor choice made by a person who was currently working in an active emergency that was being seen by the whole world. And I do know that he lost his case- a real shame in my mind.

He was a diver- just not a rescue diver in this case.

Unsworth had a bunch of lives to save and his response to Musk was - given the circumstances - a lot more courteous than I would have been in the same situation.

The children were already safe at the time he made the comment.

That still doesn't excuse Elon though. If you respond to this comment by mocking me for being clueless does that give me the right to call you a pedo? It shouldn't.

Not his finest moment for sure, but it was proportionally retaliatory in context.

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