Elon Musk posts video of 'kid-size submarine' for trapped Thai boys

The world watches with bated breath as the painstaking mission to rescue a Thai youth football team from a flooded cave unfolds.

But not Elon Musk. While most of us mere mortals are virtually powerless to help, Musk proves that when there's a will, there's a way - though unimaginable wealth helps too.

As is the standard communication protocol for important and lifesaving information nowadays, the SpaceX CEO took to Twitter to share videos of a "tiny, kid-size submarine".

The children would climb into the submarine and be escorted out by divers, meaning they would be able to leave the cave without training.

The video shows the claustrophobic 'submarine' being tested in a swimming pool.

Another video shows someone popping out the submarine completely dry.

The nose-cone on the front protects against rocks, tweeted Musk, and he agreed that throwing in a way to play music to break up the long, dark journey would be a good idea.

He also said that the submarine would be small enough to navigate the entire passage, though an inflatable replica can also be tested without fear of blockage.

A second one that is 30cm shorter is almost complete so several journeys can be made at once.

Four members of the football team, aged 11 to 16, have so far been rescued, but eight boys and their coach remain trapped in the cave.

A spokesman for Musk's Boring Company tunnelling unit, which has four engineers at the cave, has said Thai officials requested the device.

It is unclear whether the submarine is part of any rescue plans, but Musk vowed the continue with testing the submarine regardless.

This follows Musk offering up engineers from SpaceX and The Boring Company, another of his companies, to assist the Thai government.

Musk then began brainstorming ideas to help via Twitter, also suggesting that workers feed a small tube into the cave complex.

The tube could then be filled with air, opening it up, displacing the waver and allowing the children to simply walk out the cave.

Musk was under fire from some for the timing and nature of his attempt to help.

However, most were praising his ideas.

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