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Thai cave rescue: what we know so far Thai cave rescue: what we know so far
(1 day later)
Twelve boys, aged between 11 and 16 and their football coach, who have been missing for nine days, have been found by divers. Twelve boys, aged between 11 and 16 and their football coach, who have been missing for nine days, were found by divers on Monday night.
Footage of the group, shot by the British divers who reached them first, showed the boys and their coach huddled on a ledge surrounded by water. They said they were hungry and asked what day it was and if they could leave. Officials are uncertain about whether to remove the boys from the cave, which would involve a dangerous 2.5km dive in difficult conditions, or to leave them in the cave until the monsoon season has ended and water levels have dropped.
Officials are sending in divers to secure the location where the boys and their coach are currently trapped by high water levels.
There are fears that conditions are too dangerous to remove the boys immediately and so the military are sending in food provisions to last the group for up to four months, until the end of the monsoon season, when water levels recede making conditions safer to rescue the group.
Divers will stay with the group while they wait to be extracted and will use the time to teach them how to use scuba gear, to aid with their eventual rescue.
The Chiang Rai governor Narongsak Osottanakorn told reporters they were looking at all options, but “I don’t think they will be home soon.”
A medical team has been sent in to assess the health of the trapped boys and their coach and reported back that they are all in good health or having only “light” injuries.
A rescue diver has said the boys were “very weak, but alive”.
Cave rescue experts have warned that any attempts to remove the boys while waters remain high could be “unbelievably dangerous” for the boys and their rescuers, given the conditions.Cave rescue experts have warned that any attempts to remove the boys while waters remain high could be “unbelievably dangerous” for the boys and their rescuers, given the conditions.
However, the coordinator of the Thai contingent of the rescue team said that if water levels rise further, as they are set to in the coming weeks, the group could become cut off from the entrance of the cave, unable to communicate with the outside or receive supplies.
The governor of Chiang Rai province, Narongsak Osottanakorn, has announced that no rescue attempt will be made on Wednesday, but the weather is perfect for an attempt this week, so preparations will continue.
Two videos of the group were shared on Wednesday by the Thai Navy SEALS. In one, the boys greet the camera, introducing themselves and thanking rescuers. In another, a Thai navy diver is treating small cuts on the boys feet and legs. They are shown wrapped in foil blankets, but in good spirits.
Divers will stay with the group while they wait to be extracted
A medical team has assessed the health of the trapped boys and their coach and reported back that they are all in good health or having only “light” injuries.
There has been jubilation in Thailand at the news the boys and their coach are alive, especially among relatives who have been keeping vigil outside the entrance since the boys were reported missing on Saturday 23 June.There has been jubilation in Thailand at the news the boys and their coach are alive, especially among relatives who have been keeping vigil outside the entrance since the boys were reported missing on Saturday 23 June.
The Thai prime minister, Prayut Chan-o-cha, wished the group a “safe and speedy recover” and thanked the rescuers, including the foreign teams who have flocked from Australia, Japan, the US and Britain to help with the search.The Thai prime minister, Prayut Chan-o-cha, wished the group a “safe and speedy recover” and thanked the rescuers, including the foreign teams who have flocked from Australia, Japan, the US and Britain to help with the search.
The young football team, made up of 12 boys aged between 11 and 16, and their coach went missing on Saturday 23 June, after monsoon rains trapped them inside the Tham Luang cave network.The young football team, made up of 12 boys aged between 11 and 16, and their coach went missing on Saturday 23 June, after monsoon rains trapped them inside the Tham Luang cave network.
They were found on Monday night after a nine-day round-the-clock search involving international teams of divers.They were found on Monday night after a nine-day round-the-clock search involving international teams of divers.
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