13 Trapped In A Thai Cave: The True Story of the Heroic Search and Rescue

A Terrifying Fate

The world has watched in horror and awe as 12 young schoolboys as their coach were recently stranded in a flooded cave in Thailand. The historic rescue mission to return the group to safety has made world headlines, with a flood of concern and support for the young boys and their harrowing experience.

A Life-Changing Choice

The twelve boys are between the ages of 11 and 16. The children are members of the Moo Pa or ‘Wild Boar’ soccer team. Joined by their assistant coach, Ekkapol Chantawong, the team is reported to have attempted to hike to Tham Luang Cave in northern Thailand.

An Unlikely Downpour

Following their soccer practice on June 23, the team headed to the cave for a supposedly five-hour-long hike. After 4 and a half hours, the boys had reached their destination. Once the team journeyed into the large cave, heavy torrential rains began to fall, blocking the exit and filling the cave’s chambers with water.

A Gut Feeling

Nopparat Kathawong, the 37-year-old head coach of the Wild Boars, knew of the other coach’s plans to take the team to the cave. He trusted his colleague but when the team had not returned home at 7pm that night, the coach began to fear the worst.

What Had Happened?

Nopparat journeyed to the mouth of the cave himself, hoping to come upon the boys. When he got there he found some of the boy’s belongings and backpacks outside of the cave. He noted another terrifying sigh: water was pouring from the mouth of the cave. “I screamed — ‘Ek! Ek! Ek!’ My body went completely cold,” he told The Washington Post.

The Mission Begins

The Thai Government were quick to respond to the crisis when news of the boy’s situations became national knowledge. The very first rescue attempts were made on June 24, but the weather conditions were treacherous. Each time the emergency response team attempted to make it into the mouth of the cave water levels rose to dangerous heights. The Thai rescuers soon knew they needed more help.

Foreign Aid

Soon, the world heard of the boys’ terrifying struggle. British diving experts, a US emergency response team, military personnel from Australia and specialists from Japan, China and Israel all rushed to the country to offer their expertise. Global news headlines were flooded with reports of the boys’ ordeal The world was now watching.

A Deadly Situation

The boys and their coach have now been trapped in the dark cave for over 18 day. As people around the world heard of their story, one question was repeatedly asked: How are they surviving? The stranded boys had no food, no electricity and little contact with the outside world.

Selfless Heroes

John Volanthen and Rick Stanton, two of the world’s most experienced cave divers, were the first divers to locate and capture video footage of the stranded boys. After a terrifying journey through the cave’s inner workings, the two men were able to dive into the final section and push through the cave’s chamber and find the boys and their coach huddled together on a small ledge above the water.

Finally Found

“How many of you?” These were the first words spoken by Volanthen and Stanton. The trapped children soon screamed: “Thirteen.” The divers reassured the boys that more people would be coming to rescue them, but the boys would have to wait to make it out of their ordeal. Besides Stanton and Volanthen, Navy SEALs from the Thailand government as well as thirteen international divers will all work together to bring the boys home. A report from NewsChannelAsia stated that almost ninety international divers were involved in the evacuation.

The Mission Continues

The rescue mission has presented some terrifying obstacles. The boys are trapped 2.5 miles within the cave walls. The rescue attempts have had to be repeatedly halted as torrential rain continues to pour from the skies. The world rejoiced when all trapped boys and their coach were found alive by Volanthen and Stanton on July 2nd but the rescue mission remained an enormous task.

More Bad New

By July 3rd, much needed medical supplies and high-calorie foods were delivered to the boys. The fluctuating water levels within the cave continued to make the rescue a hazardous mission. Soon, another tragedy would strike.

Time is Running Out

Divers were working tirelessly to deliver needed oxygen tanks to the trapped group. Petty Officer Saman Gunan was one of the fearless emergency responders who helping to secure the airline to the boys. Oxygen levels within the cave were beginning to drop, making the window for the rescue mission more and more limited.

Tragedy Strikes

On July 6th ex-Navy seal Saman Gunan lost consciousness as he returned from his mission to deliver oxygen to the boys. Tragically, Gunan would lose his life while attempting to save the lives of the young boys. The death was mourned around the world as rescue officials became increasingly concerned about the danger of attempting to reach the boys through the water-logged chambers of the cave.

Messages of Hope

On July 7th scrawled messages are delivered from the team’s agonized coach, offering his “apologies” to the boys’ parents, while in other desperately touching notes the boys tell their relatives and friends not to worry.

Will They Survive?

Tireless rescuers continued to race against the clock as forecasts for heavy rain were predicted for the Northern Thai region. Water levels within the cave continued to fluctuate making it difficult to predict the nature of each rescue attempt. After the death of Gunan, the danger of the excursion becomes more and more risky.

The Time Had Come

On July 8th, 18 expert international divers enter the cave mouth and emerge 11 long hours later with 4 of the trapped boys. After 16 days, the terrified children see daylight for the first time. News of the successful first rescue is met with joy and encouragement from around the world.

Medical Concerns

The boys are immediately ferried to a nearby hospital to be evaluated. Health officials feared the worst. The boys had spent over two weeks trapped in the dark, with little ventilation. The children are examined for any signs of fever – a temperature would be a sure sign of a life-threatening infection.

In Good Health

Miraculously, the rescued boys are declared in good health but are immediately placed in quarantine. The boys will have no direct physical contact with their parents or medical professionals in order to ensure they carry no infections and their vulnerable immune systems are protected. The boys have taken to wearing dark sunglasses in order to protect their eyes from sunlight.

Another Attempt

With renewed optimism, rescue divers re-entered the cave on July 9th. Supposedly, each rescued boy would be accompanied by two divers as they make their way back to the cave mouth. The exit process includes a mixture of walking, wading, climbing and diving along guide ropes already in place.

The World Rejoices

After nine hours, the rescue divers return with another four boys. Once again, the children were immediately taken to hospital to be evaluated. Though one boy showed signs of fever, while others had low heart rates, all boys have since made a full recovery. Though in quarantine, they can be viewed by their families through a glass window.

The Final Mission

Though the world has rejoiced along with the Thai nation over the rescue of the eight boys, another four boys and their coach remain inside the cave. Torrential rain struck the rescue site on Monday evening and it continued to pour well into the morning, but Thai authorities said preparations for the final rescue remain unaffected.

 

Psychological Damage

Many have wondered about the psychological effects the ordeal may have on the young boys. “The lack of daylight over this period of time means that they may not only be psychologically disoriented, but that many of their basic physiological functions that depend upon circadian rhythms will be disturbed, such as sleep, hormonal functioning, core temperature, their feeding and drinking, and also how their gastrointestinal systems might be functioning,” said Associate Professor Sarb Johal, from the Joint Centre for Disaster Research in New Zealand.

The Strongest First

The third phase of the high-risk rescue operation for the boys and their coach began Tuesday, July 10th. Rescuers have been helping the strongest boys out first. It may seem counterintuitive to most, but the reasoning behind the controversial method was that officials want the boys who have the best chance of surviving to get through the escape route first.

To Live Another Day

To the joy and relief of the boys’ parents, three more boys have been reportedly rescued from the cave depths. Nine ambulances have awaited the arrival of the survivors who will once again be taken to the nearby hospital for immediate medical attention.

The Last Rescue

Tuesday is said to be the very last day of the rescue mission. All of the remaining boys and their coach will hopefully see dry land for the first time after being underground for a horrifying period of over 16 days. The story has caught the world’s attention, including one world famous face.

A Helping Hand

Elon Musk, the world-renowned face behind Tesla announced that he would try to help with the rescue operation last week. The tech genius refashioned part of a Falcon 9 rocket into an underwater escape capsule for the children.

 

Unfortunate News

Musk flew out to Thailand with the submarine device over the weekend, sharing photos and video footage of the rescue site on his various social media platforms. “Although his technology is good and sophisticated it’s not practical for this mission,” Narongsak Osatanakorn, head of the command centre overseeing the rescue, told reporters.

The World Waits

After a terrifying and lengthy ordeal, the final stages of the rescue mission appear to be well underway. World news channels are reporting live from the site, sharing information about the high-risk final moments of the rescue. Only time will tell whether the remaining boys and their coach will make it out of the cave’s depths.

Compassion Wins

The news story has touched the hearts of millions. People from across the globe have shared their heartfelt well wishes for the boys and their coach. As millions watch with baited breath, it remains to be seen whether the rest of the survivors will live to see the light of day.