Pondering the puzzle of rescuing boys
BANGKOK: Rescuers in Thailand are deciding how they will rescue 12 boys and their soccer coach from a flooded cave complex as the country’s north braces for more monsoon rains that could imperil the operation.
The boys are around 4km from the cave’s entrance, according to the Thai navy, and about 400m from Pattaya Beach, a large, elevated point inside the Tham Luang cave complex.
But before the group, trapped since June 23, can be reunited with their families, they will have to contend with debris clogging passageways and high water levels that might require them to use scuba diving gear.
The 10km cave complex in Chiang Rai is relatively unexplored. Before the boys reach a Tjunction 3km north of the entrance, they will have to dive at least once, rescue workers say.
‘‘It takes six hours to get to where the children are and five hours to come back,’’ said Major General Chalongchai Chaiyakum, deputy commander of the Third Army Region.
Officials have said two or three divers will accompany each member of the group.
Thailand is in the middle of its monsoon season which usually ends in midOctober. A sign outside the cave warns visitors it is prone to flooding.
Rescuers are considering four options to extract the boys.
Plan A is to teach the boys, aged 11 to 16, how to dive and to assess whether they are fit enough to tackle the journey out. Plan B is to pump and drain water out of the cave so the group can crawl part or most of the way.
Another is to find an alternative way in through a natural shaft.
The last option is to keep the boys inside the cave until they are strong enough to leave or water levels subside. — Reuters