– By Joseph Edun
Chiang Rai, Thailand – A Thai football team consisting of 12 boys age 11-16years and their coach 25, have been stuck in a cave since June 23. The team entered the Tham Luang Nang cave in northern Thailand just after a football practice session. The boys had left their bikes, backpacks and shoes outside the cave complex before wading in and trying to go to the end of the tunnel. This is a sort of an initiation for local young boys to write their names on the wall of the cave at the extreme end and make it back. They were however locked in the cave due to a flash flood, the sudden heavy rain making their return out of the cave impossible. Worth of note is the fact that Thailand is in the middle of its raining season therefore making the boys stuck in the cave after the heavy rain.
The group was found alive after nine days of desperate search by an international rescue operation which includes the Thai Navy SEALs, soldiers, police, divers, cave experts as well as experts from the US, China, Australia and the UK. The boys were found seated on a rock, very weak from lack of food for more than 9 days. But bringing them out of the cave still remains a tough operation for the rescuers as the cave is still heavily flooded from the continuous heavy rainfall. Some of the boys cannot swim and diving is very risky considering the nature of the cave. It may therefore still take a considerable number of days before they can be brought out of the cave.
However, food, light, other essentials are being provided for them into the cave while doctors who can dive will be attending to them in the cave. The news about the boys being found all aliive was greeted with joy especially from the parents of the boys after the agonising long wait.
Source: Daily Mail, Fox News
