Six boys rescued from Thai cave

Nation shares sigh of relief, but tense days remain

Six boys among a group of 13 trapped in a flooded Thai cave for more than a fortnight were rescued on Sunday, authorities said, as elite divers raced to save the others.

The first two emerged from the Tham Luang cave complex after navigating a treacherous escape route of more than four kilometers through twisting, narrow and jagged passageways.

Foreign elite divers and Thai Navy SEALS on Sunday morning began the extremely dangerous operation to extract the 12 boys and their football coach as they raced against time, with imminent monsoon rains threatening more flooding that would doom the rescue operation.

“Today is the D-day. The boys are ready to face any challenges,” rescue chief Narongsak Osottanakorn told reporters near the cave site on Sunday morning.

The group became trapped in a cramped chamber deep inside Tham Luang in a mountainous area of northern Thailand on June 23, when they went in after football practice and got caught behind rising waters.

Their plight transfixed Thailand and the rest of the world, as authorities struggled to devise a plan to get the boys – aged between 11 and 16 – and their 25-year-old coach out.

The rescue of the first four was a stunning victory in an operation Narongsak had earlier dubbed “Mission Impossible”, but there were no guarantees the others would emerge safely.

Another operation commander said on Sunday the rescue efforts could take several days to complete, with the boys and their coach being brought out one-by-one.

The group was found dishevelled and hungry by British cave diving specialists nine days after they ventured in.

Initial euphoria over finding the boys alive quickly turned into deep anxiety as rescuers struggled to find a way to get them out.

The death of a former Thai Navy SEAL diver who ran out of oxygen in the cave on Friday underscored the danger of the journey even for professionals.

After a short deluge of rain on Saturday night and with more bad weather forecast, Narongsak on Sunday said authorities had to act immediately.

“There is no other day that we are more ready than today,” he said. “Otherwise we will lose the opportunity.”

Between the base camp inside the cave and the trapped boys are twisting, turning cave passageways with torrents of water gushing through.

The water in the cave is muddy and unclear, with one diver comparing it to a cafe latte. Ropes were installed to help guide the boys through the darkness.

Narongsak said Sunday morning two divers would escort each of the boys out of the cave.