Pumping water out of cave the key to finding missing Thai children
Efforts to rescue 12 boys and their football coach who have been missing in a flooded cave in Thailand for three days hinge on pumping out water so that navy divers have room to operate.
Interior minister Anupong Paojinda said Navy Seal divers leading the search were handicapped by muddy water that had filled some chambers of the large cave to the ceilings.
He said the divers could proceed only when enough water was pumped out so there was space between the water and the ceiling to make it safer to work.
The divers will use oxygen tanks that provide longer diving times.
One diver said the water was so murky that even with lights they could not see underwater, so they needed to be able to lift their heads above the water.
Mr Paojinda said rescuers would be working day and night in the cave. “The Seal team will be working non-stop because it’s already dark here too,” he said.
“So night and day doesn’t make a big difference. They’ll just need to rotate.”
About a dozen Navy divers and other rescuers re-entered the cave yesterday to search for the boys, who are aged 11 to 16.
They have been missing since their coach took them to the Tham Luang Nang Non cave complex after a practice match.
Divers have been seeking a way forward through the chambers of the cave complex, but have been forced to suspend their search several times.
The authorities are also seeking alternative ways in, using helicopters and search parties on foot to find possible holes in the ceilings of other parts of the cave.
A small glimmer of hope was dashed yesterday after explorers found two fissures in the rock on the mountain in which the cave is located. After evaluation, experts found that neither could be used as a “chimney” to gain access to the cave.
Rain that fell overnight increased the difficulty of exploring inside the cave. However, the chambers near the cave’s entrance are dry and a power line was extended inside to provide light and ventilation and help the divers communicate with those outside.
The boys and their 25-yearold coach entered the cave in Chiang Rai province late on Saturday afternoon.
A woman reported that her son had not returned from football practice, setting off the search.
Relatives of the missing boys and others performed a ritual yesterday calling for their safe return.
The cave complex extends several miles and has wide chambers and narrow passageways with rocky outcrops and changes in elevation.