‘Skinny but doing well’
> Thai boys show no signs of stress after cave rescue: Official
BANGKOK: The 12 boys and their football coach rescued from inside a flooded Thai cave lost an average of 2kg during their 17-day ordeal but were generally in good condition and showed no signs of stress, a senior health official said yesterday.
Thais reacted with relief, gratitude and exhilaration after the last group of the “Wild Boars” football team was rescued from the Tham Luang cave, near the border with Myanmar, on Tuesday night, ending an ordeal that gripped the world.
They were taken by helicopter to a hospital about 70km away to join their team mates in quarantine for the time being.
“From our assessment, they are in good condition and not stressed. The children were well taken care of in the cave. Most of the boys lost an average of 2kg,” Thongchai Lertwilairattanapong, an inspector for Thailand’s health department, told reporters.
Parents of the first four boys freed on Sunday have been able to visit them but had to wear protective suits and stand 2m away as a precaution.
Thongchai said one from the last group rescued on Tuesday had a lung infection and they were all given vaccinations for rabies and tetanus.
The group ventured into the vast cave complex in northern Thailand after football practice on June 23 and were lost for nine days before they were discovered by British divers.
Getting them out – which involved diving through narrow, submerged passages – proved a monumental challenge.
Their dramatic rescue dominated front page headlines in Thailand.
“Hooyah! Mission accomplished”, read one headline, echoing the rallying cry of the Thai navy Seals involved in the rescue.
The hashtag #Hooyah was also hugely popular with Thai netizens wanting to show their support for the hundreds of rescuers, including divers from around the world, who helped to get the boys out.
Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ochra made a televised statement thanking everyone involved in the mission who “shared their expertise, manpower and equipment”.
Official help came from Britain, the United States, Japan, Laos, Myanmar, China and Australia.
There were also volunteers from Denmark, Germany, Belgium, Canada, Ukraine and Finland. – Reuters