Thai cave boys not ready to be rescued

AUTHORITIES in Thailand say they will not immediately attempt an underwater evacuation of 12 schoolboys who have been trapped in a cave for almost two weeks.

They say the boys have not learned adequate diving skills in the few days since searchers reached the area where they are.

The official in immediate charge of the operation, Governor Narongsak Osatanakorn, indicated strongly at a news conference that if heavy rains started and appeared to be causing flooded areas in the cave to rise again, they would try to take the boys out with divers right away.

Thai officials had been leaning towards a quick underwater evacuation because of fear that access to the cave could soon close again because of seasonal monsoon rains expected.

However, cave rescue specialists have cautioned against that approach except as a last resort, because of the dangers it poses.

British divers Rick Stanton, a fireman in his fifties from Coventry, and John Volanthen, an IT consultant based in Bristol in his forties, were first to reach the boys.

The massive operation inside and around the Tham Luang Nang Non cave in Chiang Rai province suffered its first fatality yesterday when former Thai navy Seal Saman Gunan passed out underwater on an overnight mission and was unable to be revived.