Former Navy Seal dies in Thai football team cave rescue bid
The rescuers trying to help a youth football team stranded in a Thai cave suffered a disheartening loss yesterday with the death of a former Seal diving in the flooded passageways to deliver supplies, as authorities raced against worsening weather and lessening oxygen where the 12 boys and their coach have been trapped for two weeks.
“We can no longer wait for all conditions (to be ready) because circumstances are pressuring us,” Thai Seal commander Rear Admiral Arpakorn Yookongkaew told a news conference. “We originally thought the boys can stay safe inside the cave for quite some time, but circumstances have changed. We have limited amount of time.”
Oxygen levels are decreasing because of the amount of workers inside the cave and workers were trying to run an oxygen line into the chambers in addition to the oxygen canisters used by divers, Chiang Rai province Governor Narongsak Osatanakorn had said on Thursday.
A senior army commander, Major General Chalongchai Chaiyakam, said the most pressing mission is the oxygen line. It is tied to a telephone line to provide a channel of communication for the children, who are stuck deep in the complex but are being looked after by four Seals, including a medic. The boys, aged 11-16, and their 25-year-old coach went exploring in the cave after a football match on June 23. Monsoon flooding cut off their escape and prevented rescuers from finding them for almost ten days as the only way to reach them was by navigating dark and tight passageways filled with muddy water and strong currents.
Authorities have been racing to pump out water from the cave before more storms raise the water level again. At this time though, diving is the only possible method of escape, even though cave rescue experts warn it is extremely dangerous even for those with experience.
The death of former Thai navy Seal Saman Gunan underscored those risks.
The diver, the first fatality of the rescue effort, was working in a volunteer capacity and died during an overnight mission in which he was placing oxygen canisters along the route divers use to reach the children, Admiral Arpakorn said. The strategically placed canisters allow divers to stay underwater for longer during what is about a five-hour trip to reach the stranded team. While underwater, the rescuer passed out and efforts to resuscitate him failed, Admiral Arpakorn said. Some officials said his collapse was due to his oxygen supply running out, but the cause of his collapse was not confirmed.
“Despite this, we will continue until we accomplish our mission,” Admiral Arpakorn said.
newsdeskts@scotsman.com