From one close shave to another, cave boys become Buddhist monks
ONE by one they bowed their heads as all their hair and eyebrows were shaved off by saffronrobed monks yesterday.
This was the poignant ritual in which the schoolboys trapped in a flooded Thai cave honoured their rescuers.
Watched by proud parents, 11 of the 12 young footballers and their coach took part in a Buddhist ceremony to be ordained as novice monks.
The boys, aged 11 to 16, will spend nine days meditating in monasteries to ‘make merit’ for those who risked their lives to save them and their coach, 25.
In particular they will honour former Thai navy SEAL diver Saman Kunan who died when he ran out of air underwater.
After being shaved, the ‘ Wild Boars’ team offered prayers in a temple in northern Thailand. The 12th boy, Adul Sam-on, is a Christian who attended but did not take part.
Buddhist males in Thailand expect to be ordained at some point in their lives, often to show gratitude to their parents.
The mother of the youngest boy, Chanin Wiboonrungrueang, 11, said: ‘It’s something we’ve been thinking to do since they got out of the cave. Now it’s about time.’
The boys were trapped in the Tham Luang cave on June 23 by monsoon floods which pushed them further and further from the entrance. British potholers found them huddled on a ledge three miles from the cave mouth nine days later. After a further six days of preparation, they were rescued by an international team led by the Britons including IT consultant John Volanthen, from Bristol.
Yesterday at a Downing Street reception with Theresa May, Mr Volanthen insisted he and his team were not heroes. But the Prime Minister said: ‘ We can be very proud. They did a fantastic job... every one of them is a hero.’ Other British potholers at the No 10 celebration were Chris Jewell, Connor Roe and Robert Harper from Somerset, Josh Bratchley, from Devon, and Vernon Unsworth, who lives near the Thai cave. In Australia yesterday, as nine divers from the rescue team were also honoured, the doctor who swam into the cavern to prepare the boys for their perilous route to safety confessed that he had been terrified of giving them the wrong dose of sedative. Rescuers feared they would panic if fully aware of the inky black conditions underwater, so they were drugged almost to unconsciousness. Anaesthetist Richard Harris , 53, said: ‘It was an estimate to start with. I’ve never done it in the back of a cave on malnourished, skinny, dehydrated Thai kids before – that was the most frightening part.’ He and his regular dive companion Craig Challen, 53, were given Australia’s Star of Courage medal. Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull said: ‘You made us so proud. Selfless and courageous, superbly professional, competent. We could not have better ambassadors showing the best of our Australian values. ‘It’s impossible to overstate how dangerous was your task.’