I'm not sure the children's cognitive abilities are particularly relevant, as blunt as it sounds. It's not like in the last 2-3 days they've trained them to a

I'm not sure the children's cognitive abilities are particularly relevant, as blunt as it sounds. It's not like in the last 2-3 days they've trained them to a level beyond the Thai SEAL who didn't make it. Panicking is almost the worst thing that could happen here. Someone flailing around is a threat to their own apparatus, their rescuer's apparatus, and at best depletes their own oxygen much faster. It sounds incredibly cruel, but I'd completely understand if they opted for a doped deadweight. I'd also completely understand if they didn't advertise such details until they're certain it was successful. Having the whole world watching adds some political tightropes.