His life was very much valued. Reading about that tragedy, I don't think there is any way a drill would have helped. He was so far down the cave, and even just the entrance to that cave is very small. There was no way to get equipment to him in time. Everyone involved tried their absolute best, but there was no solution to even ask for. If there was a solution that would have wrecked the cave and would have saved him, they would probably have taken it, but there was no way to operate on the rock above him without burying him.