Rescuers race to drain Thai caves, beat rain

MAE SAI, Thailand — With more rain coming, Thai rescuers are racing to pump out water from a flooded cave before they can extract 12 boys and their soccer coach with minimum risk, officials said Thursday.

A firefighter who has been working on draining the water said parts of a passage leading to the chamber where the group was found Monday was still flooded to its ceiling, making diving the only way out.

The boys, aged 11-16, and their 25-year-old coach went exploring in the Tham Luang Nang Non cave in the northern province after a soccer game June 23.

Monsoon flooding cut off their escape and prevented rescuers from finding them for 10 days.

Early Friday, officials announced a retired Thai navy SEAL taking part in preparations for a rescue attempt drowned in a flooded portion of the cave system after running out of oxygen.

The death of the highly experienced diver left lingering questions over whether attempts to teach the boys, many of whom are not strong swimmers, to navigate the caves for an escape attempt is a wise move.

The Guardian also reported Friday that officials are concerned the levels of breathable air in the area where the boys and their coach are trapped are getting dangerously low due to the number of workers entering the caves.