Elon Musk apologizes for calling Thai cave rescue diver 'pedo guy'

Tesla and SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk apologized Wednesday to a British diver who was involved in the Thai cave rescue for calling him "pedo guy."

Musk lashed out at Vern Unsworth on Twitter on Saturday after Unsworth criticized a mini-submarine sent by Musk to help assist in the rescue of the 12 boys and their coach who were trapped in a flooded cave in northern Thailand for more than two weeks. Tesla shares fell following Musk's attack. Unsworth said he was considering taking legal action against Musk.

Musk tweeted Wednesday that "his actions against me do not justify my actions against him, and for that I apologize to Mr. Unsworth and to the companies I represent as leader. The fault is mine and mine alone."

“I am aware of his apology, and (have) no further comment,” Unsworth told Reuters over the phone Wednesday.

More: Thai soccer team members who were trapped in cave leave hospital

More: All are safe in riveting Thai cave rescue

Related: Thai cave rescue operation saves boys, coach: What comes next

The Wild Boars youth soccer team and their 25-year-old coach were trapped in the Tham Luang cave complex on June 23 by flooding after they went exploring there following a game. Divers found them after 10 days, and the last team members were freed by an international team of rescuers on July 10, 17 days after they went missing. A former Thai navy diver died during the rescue operation.

Musk made the defamatory tweet after Unsworth called his submarine "a PR stunt" in an interview with CNN.

"He can stick his submarine where it hurts," Unsworth said. "It just had absolutely no chance of working.”

More: 'We're going to eat fried chicken at KFC': Classmates, teachers await return of boys trapped in Thai cave

Musk responded: "We will make one of the mini-sub/pod going all the way to Cave 5 no problemo. Sorry pedo guy, you really did ask for it." The tweet was later deleted.

The boys were released from the hospital where they have been recovering in the city of Chiang Rai on Wednesday and spoke of their ordeal in a news conference with their coach.

WSBTV