Brave boys tell of survival
TRAPPED in the recesses of a flooded cave, the 12 boys and their soccer coach were trying to dig their way out when they heard voices in the darkness.
Their coach quickly told everyone to be quiet.
“We weren’t sure if it was for real,” 14-year-old Adul Samon said. “So we stopped and listened. And it turned out to be true. I was shocked.”
That stunning moment when two British divers found the soccer team was recounted by the boys yesterday at their first news conference since the rescue that riveted the world.
They all looked healthy as they walked out to applause from classmates in a hall decked out as a miniature soccer field.
Dressed in green, white and black uniforms emblazoned with a red wild boar — the nickname of their team — the boys briefly showed off their ball-handling skills before answering questions that were reviewed in advance.
The boys, aged 11-16, and their 25-year-old coach had come from the hospital where they have been recuperating for more than a week. They hugged their friends before taking seats up front with doctors and members of the Thai Navy SEAL unit that rescued them from the Tham Luang cave after more than two weeks inside.
Each member of the Wild Boars stood and introduced himself by name and position. The SEALs also were introduced, but they used pseudonyms and wore baseball caps and sunglasses to cloak their identities for security reasons.
In one poignant and emotional moment, a portrait was displayed of Saman Gunan, the former Thai Navy SEAL diver who died in the rescue attempt, and the team members showed their gratitude and respect for him.
One of the boys, Chanin Vibulrungruang, covered his eyes as if wiping away a tear.
Adul was the logical choice to tell how the British divers discovered them because it was he who had greeted the divers in English in the murky video on July 2 that was seen around the world.
The Wild Boars had entered the cave on June 23 for what was to be a relaxing excursion after soccer practice. But rain fell and water soon filled the cavern, cutting off their escape, and they huddled on a patch of dry ground deep inside the cave.
Coach Ekapol “Ake” Chanthawong said the trip was meant to last one hour, because “each of us wanted to see what was inside”.
When the hour was up, they were pretty deep inside and already had swum through some flooded areas in the spirit of adventure. But in turning back, Ekapol discovered the way was not at all clear, and he swam ahead to scout the route, attaching a rope to himself so the boys could pull him back if necessary. He said he had to be pulled out.
He said he told the boys: “We cannot go out this way. We have to find another way.”
The boys told reporters of their reactions at that point.
“I felt scared. I was afraid I wouldn’t get to go home and my mum would scold me, said Mongkol Boonpiam, 13, prompting laughter.
Ekarat Wongsukchan, 14, said they decided “to calm ourselves first, to try to fix the problem and find a way out. Be calm and not shocked”.
The group had taken no food with them and survived by drinking water that dripped from the cave walls, Ekapol said, adding all the boys knew how to swim, which had been a concern for rescuers.
Adul said they were digging when they heard the voices and Ekapol called for silence.
He recounted how Ekapol told them to “quickly get down there, that’s the sound of a person, or else they’re going to pass on by”.
But he said his teammate holding the flashlight was scared.
“So I quickly took the flashlight, and quickly went down, and I greeted them, ‘hello’, ” Adul said.
Psychologists had vetted questions in advance to avoid bringing up any aspects of the rescue that might disturb them. The dangers of the complicated operation, in which the boys were extracted in three separate missions with diving equipment and pulleys through the tight passageways, were not discussed.
Doctors said the 13 were physically and mentally healthy. Although they lost an average of 4kg in the more than two weeks they were trapped in the cave, they have since gained about 3kg on average since their rescue. They were treated for minor infections.
Asked what he had learned from the experience, 13-yearold Mongkol Boonpiam said he felt stronger. “I have more patience, endurance, tolerance,” Mongkol said.
Adul said it had taught him “not to live life carelessly.”
While many of the boys wanted to be pro soccer players when they grew up, at least four said they hoped to become navy SEALs.
AP