CRANBERRY TWP — Many people who live and work in the Pittsburgh area were captivated by the news of a Thai soccer team that was trapped in caves, but not many were as personally invested as the employees at the Cranberry-based safety tech company Mine Safety Appliances.

MSA creates equipment that can improve safety in dangerous fields, such as mining and military operations. The company's most recent achievement came in the form of an early July rescue mission.

After 12 boys and their coach were trapped in the Tham Luang caves in northern Thailand on June 23, it took 18 days for the entire group to be extricated due to flooding in the caves. A team of Thai and international divers worked from July 8-10 to complete the rescue mission, and the entire soccer team was safely recovered.

During this time, rescue personnel used a few of products from MSA to complete the job, including self-contained breathing units and European-style firefighter helmets.

Mark Deasy, MSA's director of public relations and strategic communications, said the equipment in use was provided to the Royal Thai Navy.

The full article will appear in the Butler Eagle.