Thailand cave rescue: Final five boys and their soccer coach to be freed

THE ninth boy has come out of the Thai cave as operations are underway to bring the last five members of the Wild Boar soccer team out of the cave to freedom.

“We hope that today we can bring out the four, plus one,” said Governor Narongsak Osotthanakorn, referring to coach Ekkapon Chantawongse.

He said that 19 divers were now in the cave preparing for the final extraction of the remarkable mission.

Thai Navy SEALs appeared to be in good spirits, posting on Facebook they were looking forward to celebrating success.

“Today is 10 July 2018. It will be longer than previous ones. We will celebrate together finally,” they wrote.

“Hooyah!”

The governor said he expected today’s operation would be even faster than the previous two days, which saw eight boys successfully evacuated.

This means the five will likely emerge above ground sometime in the midafternoon, Thai time.

He said two of the eight boys who had been rescued were being treated intravenously for pneumonia at Chang Rai hospital. He said the treatment was proving so far successful.

“We expected them all to have pneumonia, and came up with a preventive measures, but most of them haven’t got pneumonia.”

Narongsak said that although there was heavy rain this morning, water levels were holding stable, meaning they were able to speed up the operation.

“The team completed their set-up for the mission faster than expected and it got underway at 10am,” he said.

The governor had been concerned on the previous evening that they might only to being four boys out today, but he said the team leaders had decided it was safe to bring the five out today.

Narongsak said along with the five, along with a doctor and three Thai SEALs who have been with the boys, would be coming out.

He is presumably referring to Australian anaesthetist and diver Richard Harris, who has been with the team on the ledge monitoring their fitness to dive.

The governor said of billionaire engineer and futurist, Elon Musk, who arrived in the cave sometime this morning with a miniature submarine: “Elon Musk’s equipment is not practical.”

LISTEN TO OUR REPORTER PAUL TOOHEY’S PODCAST FROM CHIANG RAI
News Corp Australia’s man on the ground Paul Toohey told Miranda Devine the rescue mission was moving swiftly.

He said it was likely the boys would emerge from the cave midafternoon local time (early evening AEST).

Toohey said he understood authorities were trying to manage the situation so that the parents of the children who were still trapped were not distressed.

Those who have been extracted from the cave are understood to have seen their parents through a glass partition, Toohey said, until doctors release them from quarantine.

Rescuers said whether rain or shine, the rescue mission must be completed today, according to Toohey.

CLUB’S TOUCHING TRIBUTE
The Bangkok Post reported emotional students have not been down to the Mae Sai Football Club, instead praying for the safe return of their classmates.

Fourteen-year-old Puwadech “Bank” Kumngoen and Kittichoke “Tong” Konkaew said no one had felt like practising since the 12 boys vanished, according to the Bangkok Post.
“Of course I want to play. I want to race down the pitch as soon as I can,” Pwadech told the Bangkok Post.

“This is World Cup time and I’ve been studying my favourite players to learn their techniques.

“But I’m going to wait because I want to try those tricks on a real pitch with my friends.”

Kittichoke said he hoped to watch the World Cup final with the 12 boys, and that waiting for updates during their time trapped in the Tham Luang cave had been a draining experience.

Puwadech said he was ecstatic when he heard the first four boys were alive and well after being rescued from the waterlogged cave.

“I ran down from upstairs and jumped when the operation commander announced on TV that four of my friends had made it out safely. My whole family was so happy and we believe everyone will be okay,” Puwadech told the Bangkok Post.

PNEUMONIA FEARS FOR RESCUED BOYS
The eight rescued boys have been examined by teams of GPs, nutritionists, ophthalmologists and psychologists and declared healthy and well.

Apart from signs of mild pneumonia, which is being treated, some passing fevers, coughing, light wounds and general weakness, medical experts are satisfied the boys have made it through their ordeal unscathed.

Families have been able to speak to the quarantined boys behind a glass partition at Chiang Rai hospital, where they will remain for up to seven days until they are given the complete all-clear.

“Because the kids are still young, they are very resilient. They can talk normally, everybody is joyful and very glad to come out,” said Dr Jedsada Chokdamrongsuk from the Public Health Ministry.

The expert said the boys had suffered from exposure to water and cold over their long stay underground, but were in surprisingly good condition.

“They’re hungry a lot and want to eat a variety of food, but at this stage we’re giving food that is easily digested and bland. They can sit up and eat, but there are no worrying conditions.

“They asked for bread with chocolate, which we think is OK.”

The boys have told the rescuers that there were no animals such as bats in the cave so the medical experts feel certain there is no biological cross-contamination.

The eight have been swabbed with samples sent to Bangkok.

“We have to wait for microbiological results from the lab,” said Dr Jedsada. “They’re immune systems are weakened so it’s best they stay in hospital.”

The doctor said the boys will be able to watch the final stages of the World Cup in quarantine — but as to news about their rescue, the psychologists don’t want them to see the coverage until the final five are safely above ground.

RESCUE IN FINAL PHASE
Rescue chief Governor Narongsak Osotthanakorn confirmed eight boys had now been evacuated, as the mission moves faster than any dared hope.

“Today we saved four more children. All are safe,” he said. “The team has got used to the operations now. We have 100 staff in the cave. We are planning for tomorrow and planning for 100 per cent success.”

“Tomorrow if it’s going to be weather like today, there’s nothing to worry about. There has been very good drainage and we expect good news.”

The next operation is scheduled to be launched by 4pm local time (7pm AEST) today but the rescue chief said he could not guarantee the last five may not all be brought out — one of them may have to wait another day.

“For [Tuesday], I cannot confirm the number that will come out,” he said. “The plan is set for to rescue four, not five. The best number is four, for safety.”

ELON’S MINI-SUB FALLS SHORT
The one-boy escape pod - named Wild Boar - was deemed impractical by authorities.

“The equipment they brought to help us is not practical with our mission,” Governor Narongsak Osotthanakorn said.

“Even though their equipment is technologically sophisticated, it doesn’t fit with our mission to go in the cave.”

Musk was allowed into Cave 3 during his visit, the portion of the system closest to the dangerous and narrow bottleneck the boys must navigate in their escape.

“(I) Continue to be amazed by the bravery, resilience & tenacity of kids & diving team in Thailand. Human character at its best,” he tweeted.

He says he has ‘gifted’ the rescue pod to Thai authorities, in case it is needed again in the future.

The pod is made from a liquid oxygen transfer tube used on one of his SpaceX Falcon rockets. Musk said it was light enough to be carried by two divers, robust enough to cope with tough cave conditions, and small enough to get through narrow gaps.

Earlier, he tweeted the pod — which his engineers scrambled to design using readily available materials — “could also work as an escape pod in space”.

RAPID PACE
The second group of boys took two hours less to extract from the cave than the four boys who were rescued on Sunday.

Governor Osotthanakorn attributed this to international teamwork, particularly the better organisation stocking the perilous dive route with hundreds of replenished air tanks.

All boys were flown 60km south of the rescue scene to Chiang Rai hospital, where they will be quarantined for seven days and examined for waterborne diseases and observed for their mental wellbeing.

It is understood the parents are not yet able to have physical contact with the kids, but are able to communicate with them through a partition.

“The children are in good condition,” Gov. Osotthanakorn said. “They are eating a soft meal, like porridge.”

The team leaders appeared upbeat, with Major-General Churat Parn-Ngao joking: “I asked the gods that it not rain for three days and we got it. So, we’ll ask for another three days.”

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha visited the scene and thanked the rescue team, including Thai and foreign divers who told him they were proud to be involved.

ESCAPE CHALLENGE
The main issue facing rescuers — apart from extreme low visibility and the dual issue of oxygen depletion and carbon monoxide overload in the cave’s chambers — is a dangerous a choke point about 1km from where the remaining boys are trapped on a muddy ledge.

It requires divers to lead the boys down a narrow tunnel, at points only 70cm wide, then crawl up above the water level, then down another tunnel once again into a deep pool.

But it appears the rescue team, involving 50 foreign and 40 Thai divers, are mastering this obstacle.

Asked if the Australian anaesthetist and diver, Richard Harris, has been helping assess the boys, Gov. Osotthanakorn earlier said: “Every day.”

The Tham Luang cave network has, until now, been little understood by speleogists, who are fast getting a lesson on the 10km system’s twists and turns.

The professional divers are leading the boys out in pairs, with two divers escorting each boy and holding his tank to make his journey easier. Each boy is understood to be wearing a wetsuit throughout the journey.

Each boy has been stretchered out of the cave mouth as a precaution before being sent to hospital.

Military and medics were gathered by a helicopter staging pad close to the cave entrance to airlift the boys on the short 60-kilometre hop to Chiang Rai hospital. The first chopper, carrying the fifth boy, departed just after 5pm local time (8pm AEST).

Photos of the isolation unit have emerged, as parents sleep at the rescue site and continue their nervous wait to be reunited with their boys.

Gov. Osotthanakorn told reporters the rescue mission on Monday was five hours ahead of schedule due to the low water levels.

“We will receive good news in a few hours,” he said.

The rescued boys will not be allowed physical contact with their parents until the risk of infection has gone, he said.

“They will be kept away from their parents for a while because we are concerned about infections,” he told reporters, adding doctors will decide on family visits “at a distance or through glass.”

AUSSIE EFFORTS
Australians have been directly involved in both rescues, Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop confirmed this morning.

She also said Adelaide doctor Richard “Harry” Harris was playing a “critical” role in determining whether the remaining four boys and their soccer coach were fit to make the 1.7km dive to the surface.

“It’s wonderful news that we now have eight boys from the cave but five still remain,” she told reporters at Parliament House.

“It is a high risk operation but I understand that this last phase was able to be achieved far more quickly than the first phase because of changing conditions and also the efficiency of the rescue team.

“There are still 19 Australian personnel directly involved including Dr Richard Harris who is playing a critical role in the health assessment of the remaining boys and the soccer coach in the cave.”

The Minister highlighted that Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha had visited the site last night and specifically thanked the Australian personnel involved in the rescue.

“He expressed the deep appreciation of the Thai people for the work that the Australian team had undertaken,” she said.

“We wish all of the rescue teams the very best and our thoughts are with the boys, their parents and families and the rescue teams that are working tirelessly to achieve what will be a remarkable outcome if all of the boys are able to be rescued from the cave safely.”