Faces of hope in Thai cave drama
Smiles of trapped boys as divers prepare for perilous bid to bring them out with scuba gear
SMILING and laughing, the 12 boys trapped in a Thai cave appeared in remarkably good spirits in a video released by rescuers yesterday.
In the 60-second clip, each youngster confirmed they were fine and gave their country’s traditional palms-together greeting.
Some of the boys, who have spent 11 days with their football coach on a cramped ledge, were draped in foil blankets for warmth – and one was wearing a red England football shirt.
The footage was released by Thai Navy special forces as they began teaching the boys to use breathing apparatus so they can be helped out through the cave’s tunnels, made impassable by flash flooding.
A team of doctors and nurses has moved to the entrance of the Tham Luang Nang Non cave complex in northern Thailand, suggesting attempts may be made to bring the boys out as early as today. It had been feared the group could be forced to wait for months.
However, a senior official said he did not want to estimate when the group, aged between 11 and 16, might be reunited with their families.
Narongsak Osottanakorn, governor of the Chiang Rai region, said: ‘They don’t have to leave all at once. Those who are ready can come out first. We have to be 100 per cent confident that there is no risk to the boys before we evacuate.’
The group now have ample food and are under the care of Thai divers, who are staying with them round the clock. To keep the boys’ spirits up, authorities are attempting to set up phone lines to allow them to talk to their parents. It took experienced divers three hours to reach the boys, located about 2.5 miles from the mouth of the cave.
The group, all part of the Wild Boars football team, was discovered on Monday by elite Thai Navy Seals and two British cave diving experts, John Volanthen and Richard Stanton following a nine-day search. Extracting the boys will be fraught with danger. Navigating claustrophobic passages blocked by murky water risks panic even if the boys have been given training.
But Somboon Sompiangjai, 38, whose son Peerapat, 16, is among the 12 trapped boys, said he was confident the Seals would get the boys out safely.
Youngsters have told divers they’ve heard dogs barking, a rooster crowing and children playing, which has prompted further searches for a shaft leading down into the cave that could provide an alternative route out.
A separate cave, thought to be connected to the main complex, has also reportedly been discovered. Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday said bringing the boys out through the water or climbing out through a shaft were the only two options. But the passageway option carried the risk of collapse if attempts were made to widen it.
The team’s coach, 25, who took the group into the cave on June 23 after football practice, is also seen in the video. Two other clips show the group having scratches treated by a military doctor. They have also been given high protein gels to rebuild their strength.
Seeing the boys looking so relaxed and cheerful ahead of a potentially perilous rescue has boosted the mood of relatives. Kian Kamluang, whose 16-yearold son Pornchai is in the cave, said: ‘It’s like he’s been given a new life.’ The team’s goalkeeper Pheeraphat Sompiengjai, known as Night, had his 16th birthday on the day they went missing.
Family members still have a birthday cake waiting for him in the fridge at home. His mother Supaluk said: ‘It’s very good to see he is safe. I know he will be OK.’
‘They heard dogs barking’