13 Thais Missing during Caving Expedition

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fountainhall

Re: 13 Thais Missing during Caving Expedition

Post by fountainhall »

Following the Bangkok Post's Opinion article, today's Nation newspaper berates authorities for the lack of co-ordination in the search. This is very sad, but as the Post article suggested, all but predictable.
‘Poor coordination in cave search leading to waste of time’

A senior rescue official complained about the wastage of time caused by the lack of adequate coordination between several teams exploring shafts over Chiang Rai’s Tham Lung Cave.

Lerpong Suansang, head of a search team of the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department, said there were several teams searching for shafts that could offer a passage to chambers in the cave where it is believed a 13-member football team could have been trapped. Lerpong said several shafts had been searched that they only led to a dead-end but due to lack of coordination other teams also ended up searching the same shafts, assuming them to be new discoveries.

He said there should have been better coordination so that all the rescue teams were aware of which shafts had been searched.
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Captain Kirk
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Re: 13 Thais Missing during Caving Expedition

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Really sad this. Another day gone and although up to now I've been quite optimistic that a happy ending was possible I think today I'm starting to believe that maybe not the case. Unimaginable tragedy for the families involved.
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Re: 13 Thais Missing during Caving Expedition

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This isn't much, but ABC News in the US says there is slightly increased hope because the rain is lessening and the pumps seem to be making some progress against the water level. If the kids have enough oxygen, which they probably do, they should be able to hold out for a while longer.
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Re: 13 Thais Missing during Caving Expedition

Post by Gaybutton »

Image
from THE NATION

Thailand cave search: Divers close in on missing soccer team

By Yuli Yang, Kocha Olarn and Sheena McKenzie, CNN

July 1, 2018

Chiang Rai, Thailand (CNN) - China and Australia have joined the search for 12 boys missing in a Thai cave, as divers closed in on the spot where they believe the teens are sheltering.

The international rescue operation -- which includes more than 1,000 people from Thai emergency services, the US military and British cave experts -- has been ramping up its efforts since the boys and their 25-year-old soccer coach disappeared during an outing in the caves in northern Thailand on June 23.

Heavy rain, which had hampered the search since it began over a week ago, has begun to let up in recent days.

Image

Divers are now closing in on the spot where they believe the missing boys are sheltering in the Tham Luang Nang Non cave system.

The elevated dry area, called Pattaya Beach, is several kilometers from the entrance of the cave.

Water from the flooded cave has receded in recent days, allowing rescue teams to gain ground, according to Chiang Rai province governor Narongsak Osatanakorn.

Oxygen tanks have been installed at 25-meter junctures for divers to use, and a water pumping machine has also being deployed, added Osatanakorn.

Heavy rains had previously hampered the rescue operation, as the caves became extremely dark and muddy.

The terrain is tough going -- mountainous and heavily forested, slowing down teams looking for other possible points of entry, according to CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam.

On Friday a team of six Chinese experts arrived at the site in Chiang Rai province, according to the Chinese Embassy in Thailand. The experts hail from the Beijing Peaceland Foundation, an organization with more than 100 rescue teams and experience carrying out similar operations in mountainous Myanmar and Nepal.

On Saturday Australia also deployed a team of six experts from its national police's Specialist Response Group, according to the country's Minister for Foreign Affairs. The group, which typically carries out land search and rescue operations, also has experience diving in flooded caves.

For now, divers continue to work at the mouth of the cave, and drilling is underway at several points in the cave complex, primarily to relieve the flooding.

Full story, graphics, photos, video: https://us.cnn.com/2018/07/01/asia/chin ... index.html
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Re: 13 Thais Missing during Caving Expedition

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That picture makes this all even more heartbreaking.
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Re: 13 Thais Missing ...FOUND ALIVE!!!!!

Post by Undaunted »

All found alive!!!!!!

Thai cave rescue: Entire teen soccer team, coach found alive
Updated Jul 2, 2018
(CNN) - Rescue teams found all 12 boys and their coach alive in a cave in Thailand Monday, according to a high ranking person involved in the search and rescue operation.
The group -- including boys between the ages of 11 and 16 years old -- had been missing for nine days.
Developing story - more to come
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fountainhall

Re: 13 Thais Missing during Caving Expedition

Post by fountainhall »

Just to update, the boys were found at the Pattaya Beach section of the cave where it was hoped they might be. All are all too weak to move. The talk is that they will have to regain some strength before they can be moved. But this is a huge relief for the families and all those who have been contributing to the rescue. Eventually the boys may have to be trained to use scuba gear and so it will be take some days before they can be brought out.
Doug

Re: 13 Thais Missing during Caving Expedition

Post by Doug »

This is the best news. I am so happy for the families. The boys will have stories to tell and will be the media darlings for days. Of course suspense will build as the boys are prepared to come out. My gratitude to all who never gave up.
Jun

Re: 13 Thais Missing during Caving Expedition

Post by Jun »

This is excellent news.

The BBC have a slightly different interpretation of their location: "Rescuers had hoped the group would find safety on a ledge in an underground chamber nicknamed Pattaya Beach but they were found 400 metres (440 yards) away having moved to higher ground to avoid the rising water."


I hope they have managed to get some food in there quickly.
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Re: 13 Thais Missing during Caving Expedition

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Such wonderful news. I guess they still have quite an ordeal ahead of them to get out, but the worst is over. Hard to imagine the relief they, and their families, must have felt. I hope when they get out and the uproar dies down they're allowed to return to normal life instead of being paraded around the world as instant celebrities. Didn't some of the rescued Chilean miners wind up with their lives ruined, by becoming instant stars and then being just as quickly forgotten?
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