Posted on 07/04/2018 12:21:05 PM PDT by BBell
MAE SAI, Thailand (AP) -- Their skinny faces illuminated by a flashlight, the Thai soccer teammates stranded more than a week in a partly flooded cave said they were healthy on a video released Wednesday (July 4), as heavy rains forecast for later this week could complicate plans to safely extract them.
The 12 boys and their coach are seen sitting with Thai navy SEALs in the dark cave. The boys, many wrapped in foil warming blankets, take turns introducing themselves, folding their hands together in a traditional greeting and saying their names and that they are healthy.
The video, lasting about a minute, was recorded sometime Tuesday and was posted on the navy SEAL Facebook page Wednesday morning. The navy later released two more videos of the boys.
The boys, aged 11 to 16, and their 25-year-old coach disappeared after they went exploring in the Tham Luang Nang Non cave in northern Chiang Rai province after a soccer game June 23. The teammates, who were trapped inside when heavy rains flooded the cave, were found by rescue divers late Monday night during a desperate search that drew assistance from experts around the globe.
Authorities said the boys, who had also been shown Tuesday in a video shot by the British diver who discovered them, were being looked after by seven members of the Thai navy SEALs, including medics, who were staying
-snip-
Gary Mitchell, the group's assistant vice chairman, said getting out of the cave requires about a kilometer (half a mile) of diving total, though not all in one stretch, and takes about three hours.
"There's air pockets along the way," . "It's confined spaces. It's almost zero visibility. There's currents to battle against in places as well. So it's a really quite a strenuous environment to be in,"
(Excerpt) Read more at nola.com ...
It could be worse, it could be a bunch of teenage girls. Of course teenage girls would probably not have gotten themselves into this mess. (;>)
The sensory deprivation alone is enough to drive me nuts thinking about it.
Reminds me of that movie with Kirk Douglas ,are they dragging it out
Granted, I am not a diving expert, but it seems to me, a few anchors, some rope/cable, and a few diving helmets, and you could have those kids out in an hour.
If grown adult divers with cameras and supplies can physically fit, then kids could fit.
This whole thing is weird. Get it together thailand.
What happens if one person gets stuck or panics?
This is a nightmare scenario.
I would never go farther than looking inside from the outside.
I caved quite a bit during my teen years, was even a card-carrying member of the National Speleological Society for a few years. While I personally never spent more than three consecutive days underground, that’s more than enough for vertigo to set in. Gravity gives you a general sense of where, “down” is, but the absence of a natural horizon can be disorienting.
Follow the leader. Trust the Coach. Major factors.
Not chickening out when everyone else is doing it.
What are they eating and how is it being delivered to them?
You're right, you're not a diviing expert... didn't even dive very deep into the article: :-)
Gary Mitchell, the group's assistant vice chairman, said getting out of the cave requires about a kilometer (half a mile) of diving total, though not all in one stretch, and takes about three hours.
I remember how paranoid I was as a Camp Counselor. This does seem like a case of someone in charge deciding “what hasn’t happened can’t ever happen”. As far as getting them out through water? They don’t know how to swim and their muscle strength must be just about gone. I wonder if they could do any more than crawl out and keep their balance. Crazy thought....could they put them in induced comas and carry them out?
No, I read it. Did you read this part you quoted?
>>though not all in one stretch
Thus, there could easily be rest/resupply on the trip. Maybe there are issues I’m not seeing. This seems like a solvable problem though.
Oh my God!!! Better not let Fauxcahantas see those metal blankets!!!!
If anyone’s interested. Here’s an article about something similar. (except it was pro’s involved, not kids)
Hire these guys to do the rescue.
https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-36097300
I thought about that as well.
You do it to see what’s there. Exploring is human nature... and humans have explored caves for thousands of years, depending on them for shelter and protection, water, and food storage. Caves can range from duds to extremely gorgeous, even surreal, though even a dud cave can be a welcome relief from oppressive summer heat. There’s beauty like nothing else on earth in crystal formations and flowstone and seemingly bottomless crystal water in many of them. And if you like waterslides and mud and such as boys do, they are quite fun. But it’s true you have to be very aware of the weather in the region, not just locally, when exploring them, since caves are created by water from underground streams and distant sink holes that can be 25 miles away or more.
This cave is a well known tourist attraction, which may be why the coach was so complacent. He was familiar with the cave though apparently not with precautions.
could they put them in induced comas and carry them out?
There are so many articles and a lot of them contradict each other. I’m not quite sure what the situation is.
If you have to squeeze your way in there's no telling you can squeeze yourself out backwards.
Has anyone seen Timothy?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.