world cup for thai soccer boys
Jubilation erupts as first four boys are extricated from cave by international team
chiang rai — Four of 12 Thai schoolboys were rescued from a flooded cave on Sunday as divers launched a daring and dangerous mission to free the children and their soccer coach who have been trapped underground for more than two weeks, officials said.
Many immediately took to social media asking Fifa to honour its invite to the soccer boys to attend the World Cup final in Russia if they are rescued in time. The condition of one of the first two footballers is causing some concern, Thai media reported. He has been listed as red, signifying a serious case, The Nation said.
Thirteen foreign divers and five members of Thailand’s elite navy Seal unit guided the boys to safety through narrow, submerged passageways that claimed the life of a former Thai navy diver on Friday. As night fell, the operation to rescue the remaining eight boys — some as young as 11 and weak swimmers — and their coach was called off until Monday morning.
“Today we managed to rescue and send back four children to Chiang Rai Prachanukrua Hospital safely,” the head of the rescue operation, Narongsak Osottanakorn said. —
The US is working very closely with the Government of Thailand to help get all of the children out of the cave and to safety. Very brave and talented people! Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump
Rescuers in northern Thailand on Sunday extracted four members of a youth soccer team from the cave where they had been trapped for more than two weeks, part of an ongoing operation to rescue the 12 boys and their coach. The head of the operation said it was going “better than expected.”
The operation to rescue the boys, ages 11-16, and their 25-year-old coach by having them dive out of the flooded cave began Sunday morning, with expert divers entering the sprawling complex for the complicated mission.
Shortly before 8pm, Thai navy SEALs, who are taking part in the rescue operation, reported on their official Facebook page that four had been rescued.
Chiang Rai acting governor Narongsak Osatanakorn, who is heading the operation, said the four boys had been taken to a hospital.
“The operation went much better than expected,” Narongsak said at a news conference, adding that the healthiest were taken out first. He said the next phase of the operation would start in 10-20 hours. The entire operation to rescue all 13 could last two to four days, depending on weather and water conditions, said army Maj. Gen. Chalongchai Chaiyakam.
Just after 9pm, Thai navy SEALs posted on their Facebook page again, saying: “Have sweet dreams everyone. Good night. Hooyah.”
Narongsak said earlier in the day that 13 foreign and five Thai divers were taking part in the rescue and that two divers would accompany each boy as they’re gradually extracted.
The only way to bring the boys and their coach out of the cave is by navigating dark and tight passageways filled with muddy water and strong currents, as well as oxygendepleted air. A former Thai navy SEAL passed out and died making the dive on Friday. Experienced cave rescue experts consider an underwater escape a last resort, especially with people untrained in diving, as the boys are. The path out is considered especially complicated because of twists and turns in narrow flooded passages.
But Narongsak said earlier that mild weather and falling water levels over the last few days had created optimal conditions for an underwater evacuation that won’t last if it rains again. Before announcing that the rescue, authorities ordered the throngs of media to leave.
The boys and their coach became stranded when they went exploring in the cave after a practice game June 23. Monsoon flooding cut off their escape and prevented rescuers from finding them for almost 10 days. The ordeal has riveted Thailand and made global headlines, and the search and rescue operation has involved international experts and rescuers. President Donald Trump said in a tweet on Sunday: “The US is working very closely with the Government of Thailand to help get all of the children out of the cave and to safety. Very brave and talented people!” —