Thai cave: Four boys rescued so far, rescue operations ongoing
What's the story
Finally, four members of the youth football team, who have been trapped inside a flooded cave in Thailand for two weeks, have been rescued.
On Sunday, 13 international divers and five Thai Navy SEALs began a daring rescue operation to free the 12 trapped Thai boys and their 25-year-old coach.
The entire operation could approximately take two to four days, depending on weather conditions.
Twitter Post
The world's best are leading the rescue mission
The 2 British men who are leading the rescue operation are John Volanthen and Rick Stanton. They are universally regarded as the best cave divers in the world.
— Jake (@Care2much18) July 8, 2018
They were the ones who found the boys are now leading the rescue mission.
HEROES. #ThaiCaveRescue
The incident
Navy SEALs have been with the team since Monday night
The youth football team and their coach were exploring the Tham Luang cave when they were blocked in by rainwater-induced monsoon floods.
The team was discovered by the aforementioned British divers on Monday night.
Since then, Thai Navy SEALs have been with the boys and have been training them to use scuba gear for the rescue.
Even then, the path to safety remains treacherous.
Best chance
This is the best chance of rescuing the team
The operation started Sunday morning presents the best chance of rescuing the team, with forecasts warning of more rain on Sunday night.
After furious efforts to pump out water from the 2.5-mile narrow passageway separating the team from the exit, further rains could complicate things.
Water in the passageway is currently at its lowest level since the incident, making most of the path walkable.
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The governor says that the boys are ready for rescue
"A new storm is coming. If we wait and rain water comes in, our readiness will be lower than now. I confirm that the kids know about the mission and they are willing and ready to come out," said Narongsak Osottanakorn, the province's governor.
Challenges
The rescue mission remains a perilous endeavor
The team members are being extracted one by one, each accompanied by two divers.
Yet, major hurdles still remain.
Most of the boys can't swim, and navigating the labyrinthine passageways of the cave underwater remains a perilous endeavor - the death of a Thai Navy SEAL involved in rescue efforts a couple of days back is a testament to that danger.