‘WE THOUGHT WE’D DUG TO ENGLAND!’
Boys joke about seeing Brit caves rescue hero
THE rescued Thai footballers thought they had “dug to England” when a British diver appeared in their flooded cave, they joked last night.
The Wild Boars side and coach Ekkapol Chantawong, who is known as Ake, made their first public appearance since their dramatic underground rescue.
Doctors had ordered them to spend a few days recovering in hospital before facing the world’s media.
And last night the smiling team told of the ordeals they endured before British divers found them after 10 days.
Coach Ake, 25, revealed the boys tried to dig to safety when they realised they were trapped and they survived on just water from the cave walls until they were discovered.
Adun Sam-On said it was “magical” when the British divers arrived and laughingly said the boys thought they had dug to England when they saw them.
He said: “We didn’t think it was real at first, we were afraid they would walk past, so I said ‘hello’.
“It was magical, I was shocked, I had to think about the question when he got up and asked ‘how are you?’ and I said ‘we are OK’.
“I said ‘can I help you?’ and he said ‘no, just go up to the ledge’. They asked ‘how many of you?’, I said ‘13’ and they said ‘brilliant’.”
Ake dismissed earlier reports suggesting
BRAVE: Coach Ake praises the team the lads could not swim, and the boys had saved themselves when they realised the water was rising.
He added that the boys had been “incredibly weak and tired” after 10 days trapped inside the cave.
Youngest player Titan said he thought of fried rice while he was starving in the cave, adding: “I had no strength.
“I tried not to think about food so I didn’t get more hungry.”
But when it came to their escape, the boys could not decide who should go first owing to their close bond.
Ake said: “Everyone loves each other so much that nobody competed to go out first.”
The Wild Boars added they had decided to be trained as monks to pay tribute to former Thai navy Seal Saman Gunan, who died during the rescue.
The boys revealed they helped recuperate by watching the World Cup Final.
Ake revealed most of the lads were supporting champions France.
When asked what they all plan to do once they get home for the first time in nearly a month, the entire team said they would apologise to their parents.
The Star Says: Page 6