On June 23, a team of around thirteen members went missing during the heavy rainy season in Thailand. The soccer team along with their coach visited a popular tourist site, Tham Luang cave complex in a forest park near Thailand¡¯s northern border with Myanmar and got trapped in it due to rising floodwater. A signboard, however, is placed in front of the complex warning the passer-by that the place can be a dangerous spot to visit during the monsoon.
After a frantic search was launched to find the missing team, the British divers rescued the players from the cave in northern Thailand on Monday night. A video posted on the Facebook account of Thai Navy Seal shows the rescuers flashing a light on the kids wearing red jerseys and shorts. As the divers asked them how many they were in number, one of the boys responded, ¡®thirteen in number¡¯. They spoke only a few words in English, saying the word ¡®Eat¡¯ thrice expressing how food deprived they were.
The team was found on an elevated rock as divers fought their way through misty waters. However, their ordeal doesn¡¯t end here. The rough rains will make it even more complicated for the rescuers to evacuate the team.
The weather forecast predicted that rains will intensify in Chiang Rai from Wednesday onwards. According to Bill Whitehouse of the British Cave Rescue Council, John Volanthen and Rick Stanton are the two british divers who have taken the onus of the rescue operation with strong experience in the field. They were the first to reach the team in the cave.
Photo Credits;AFP (Mobile Kitchen volunteers standing at the cave complex after receiving the news of divers discovering the team)
According to Reuters, Anupong told reporters ¡°Quickly pump out water first to get the kids outt as soon as possible.If it rains too much, water levels will rise and make getting them out harder.¡±
Rescuers were expecting to find the team on an elevated mount in the third chamber of the cave complex called the ¡®Pattaya beach¡¯ however, when they reached the spot they found it to be flooded hence, they travelled 400 metres further to discover the team.
Photo Credits: AFP? (Volunteers organizing supplies as news of discovering the soccer team broke out)
The boys have been given energy gels by the team to sustain them since reaching the operations centre at the third chamber of the cave complex takes three hours from where the boys were found.
As the news of the divers discovering the team broke out, people heaved a sigh of relief. Taking the group out will take considerable time as the team will either have to wait for the water levels to recede or to teach the team how to use navigate gear to escape the flooded cave. The team¡¯s health was examined overnight and it was found out they had suffered only light injuries. Once they will be rescued, they will be handed over to the medical personnel waiting outside.
Photo Credit:AFP (A family member looks at a photo of the missing children)
A doctor who is a member of the rescue operation team told Reuters that the children were able to walk and had survived by drinking water from stalactite formations (the type of formation that hangs from the ceiling of the caves).
The SEAL team is still in assisting the boys as they try to install lights, power supply and get communications equipment to the boys. The incident is being used by Thailand as a lesson in disaster relief in the future.