Victory signs after cave rescue
French player dedicates World Cup semifinal win to Thai boys
MAE SAI, Thailand — As ecstatic relatives watched and waved from behind a glass barrier, the 12 boys and their soccer coach rescued from deep within a flooded cave in Thailand made the V-for-victory sign on Wednesday from their beds in a hospital isolation ward where they are recovering from the 18-day ordeal.
A US rescuer involved in the operation described the perilous zero-visibility dives that brought the boys out safely as a “once-in-a-lifetime rescue”.
Derek Anderson, a 32-yearold rescue specialist with the US Air Force based in Okinawa, Japan, said that at times during the risky operation the boys had to be put into harnesses and high-lined across the rocky caverns. At other times, they endured dives lasting up to half an hour in the pitch-black waters.
He said the boys, ranging in age from 11 to 16, were “incredibly resilient”.
“What was really important was the coach and the boys all came together and discussed staying strong, having the will to live, having the will to survive,” Anderson said.
That gutsy determination was on display on Wednesday in a video taken from the hospital isolation ward. The boys, their faces covered by green surgical masks, flashed the V-for-victory sign as they sat up in bed and chatted with their nurses.
“Don’t need to worry about their physical health and even more so for their mental health,” said Chaiwetch Thanapaisal, director of Chiang Rai Prachanukroh Hospital, at a news conference of officials involved in the rescue.
“Everyone is strong in mind and heart.”
Even so, all need to be monitored in the hospital for a week and then rest at home for another 30 days, he said. Three have slight lung infections.
The complex mission for the rescuers from Thailand, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, China and other countries to guide the boys and coach through the cave’s flooded passageways riveted people worldwide.
'Heroes of the day’
The fate of the boys has also resonated in Russia, where soccer’s World Cup is reaching its final stages. Players from France and England welcomed news of the rescue and sent their best wishes to the “Wild Boars” on Twitter.
“This victory goes to the heroes of the day, well done boys, you are so strong,” French midfielder Paul Pogba tweeted after his team beat Belgium 1-0 on Tuesday to reach the final.
Another video released on Facebook by the Thai Navy SEALs, who were central to the rescue, showed one of the boys being carried through part of the muddy cave on a stretcher covered by an emergency thermal blanket.
The group had entered the sprawling Tham Luang cave in northern Thailand to go exploring after soccer practice on June 23 when monsoon rains filled the tight passageways, blocking their escape. They were found by a pair of British divers nearly 10 days later, huddled on a small, dry shelf just above the water.
Chiang Rai province acting Governor Narongsak Osatanakorn, who oversaw the rescue operation, said the boys should not be blamed for their near tragedy. He lauded the cooperation between Thai and international rescuers.
“The situation went beyond just being a rescue mission and became a symbol of unity among mankind,” he said. “Everyone worked together without discrimination of race or religion as the ultimate goal was to save the youth football team.”