Posted on 07/08/2018 6:30:19 PM PDT by Simon Green
Four members of a boys soccer team in Thailand were rescued Sunday from a flooded cave where they were trapped for 16 days. The team of divers is expected to resume the mission Monday to rescue the remaining eight boys and their soccer coach.
The boys, ages 11-16, and their 25-year-old coach became stranded when they went exploring in the cave after a practice game. Monsoon flooding blocked off their escape and prevented rescuers from finding them for almost 10 days.
The four boys who were rescued were taken to a hospital in Chiang Rai for evaluation. Two divers were assigned to each child to help them navigate the dangerous, narrow passageways. The next phase could begin Monday after rescue teams replenish the supply of oxygen tanks along the route. It could take two to four days complete the mission, officials said.
On Friday, the death of a former Thai navy SEAL underscored the risks. The diver, the first fatality of the rescue effort, was working in a volunteer capacity and died on a mission to place oxygen canisters along the route.
Chiang Rai acting Gov. Narongsak Osottanakorn said Saturday that mild weather and falling water levels in recent days had created the "perfect" conditions for an underwater evacuation. Those conditions won't last if the rain resumes, he said.
Heavy rain started falling as soon as the four boys were removed from the cave. Narongsak said experts told him the new rain could shrink the unflooded space where the boys are sheltering to 108 square feet.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
I’m so impressed with these young boys. Swimming a mile underwater even with a Navy Seal type Diver right with you has to be a scary experience for these young boys.
Prayers for their parents, living hell on steroids and then some. Prayers for their babies.
It’s not the swimming. It’s the tiny dark passages, esp. while swimming. I’M not claustrophobic but small cave passages give me the Heebie-jeebies.
AFAIK there are respites in swimming there. But still it’s a tight vein.
caves are scary and dark
Going from non-swimmmer to cave diver in one easy step is indescribable
Thai media is reporting that one of the earlier rescues was the coach.
[Steve at Agenda-Free.TV]
*You crawled through these dark passages, now you get to swim through them and we are with you all the way. Your 4 buddies just did it, so can you.*
They are not swimming a mile underwater.
Wonder if Trump offered help from the US Army Corp of Engineers.
I’ve been in a cave, a small one in the Black Hills. Won’t do it again.
Almost half of them out and Elon Musk hasn’t even gotten his customs export forms filled out yet.
FWIW, I read on Twitter that some on our Navy Seals are on site. Accuracy not guaranteed, just reporting what I saw.
My guess would be that we along with numerous other countries have offered ANYTHING they need.
Media must like the clicks, they have not restarted the evacs, per the linked article.
God Speed.
Everyday in this environment weakens them.
Add the element of fire, and that’s a rough day..
Very possibly.
I heard our seals are there, but only THAI SEALS are guiding the boys out. Because of the familiarity and language issues for the boys sense of trust and comfort. Makes sense.
My MARINE friend tonight said he had seen the Thai seals when he was over there..and they are excellant.
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