Failure to think things through is often a problem when a rushed operation is conducted, especially for the first time. Done properly, the incapaciting agent chosen shouldn't have a lethal dose that's close to the effective dose. Done properly, rescue forces will have the antidote on the scene and ready to administer within minutes. Sounds like someone screwed the pooch on that part of the operation.

The author of this op-ed piece says the gas was a synthetic opiate called etorphine (but one has to wonder how the author knows this). According to him, the lethal dose is only about 3 times the effective dose. That's way too tight a margin for use on humans, especially in an enclosed environment.