A couple more videos from the same time--mostly the boys having antiseptic daubed on their very minor scrapes. Some better close-ups of some of them--some are asleep. My God, they're so thin! I suppose, though, that they were thin before they went in. I'm happy to see that some of them can muster smiles.
https://www.facebook.com/RoyalThaiNavyF ... 780439394/
https://www.facebook.com/RoyalThaiNavyF ... 917098547/
13 Thais Missing during Caving Expedition
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Captain Swing
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Gaybutton
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Re: 13 Thais Missing during Caving Expedition
Hospital plan after cave exit includes 2 days in isolation room
July 04, 2018
By Natthawat Laping
The Nation
The 12 young footballers and their assistant coach will be placed in the sterile isolation room of a hospital for one to two days after being brought out of the flooded Tham Luang cave before their parents and relatives will be allowed to see and visit them, according to a plan.
The youths will then be required to stay at Chiangrai Prachanukroh Hospital for at least a week pending results of lab test results on the samples collected from them, as part of precautions to be taken to identify and treat any serious diseases picked up in the cave, Public Health Permanent Secretary Dr Jessada Chokdamrongsuk told a press conference on Wednesday.
The footballers, aged 11-16, and their 25-year-old coach assistant, who remain in the cave pending a solution to bring them out safely, will also require three to seven days for their stomachs to re-adjust to properly digest food after having done without for more than a week, he said.
The team members will also need to wear sunglasses once they are brought out of dark cave to give their eyes time to adjustment before getting the eye doctor's nod, said Jessada.
Chiangrai Prachanukroh Hospital has already prepared a separate large sterile room with equipment, giving it the capacity equivalent to that of an Intensive Care Unit and able to treat the 13 patients.
As two of the players suffer from asthma, specialist physicians would also be on hand at the hospital's sterile room, he added.
For the first day or two, the team would not be allowed visitors as they underwent detailed check-ups and treatment. The hospital has also arranged accommodation for the 50 registered family members so they could visit the youths periodically later, Jessada said.
Responding to media questions about whether plan had been prepared for the team members, Jessada replied that the ministry had from the beginning supported the rescue mission in terms of staff, medical supplies and food. After the players and coach were found in the cave on Monday, the ministry also created a transportation plan that involves a 15-minute helicopter ride or a one-hour ambulance ride to the hospital.
Jessada also urged any relatives, as well as officials or volunteers involved in the mission, to call for medical aid at the hospital's phone number (053910600) if they suspect they may have caught any cave-linked illnesses. Jessada also reported that prior to the children's discovery, six relatives had developed depression but their conditions had much improved after receiving the news of their discovery.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/ ... l/30349297
July 04, 2018
By Natthawat Laping
The Nation
The 12 young footballers and their assistant coach will be placed in the sterile isolation room of a hospital for one to two days after being brought out of the flooded Tham Luang cave before their parents and relatives will be allowed to see and visit them, according to a plan.
The youths will then be required to stay at Chiangrai Prachanukroh Hospital for at least a week pending results of lab test results on the samples collected from them, as part of precautions to be taken to identify and treat any serious diseases picked up in the cave, Public Health Permanent Secretary Dr Jessada Chokdamrongsuk told a press conference on Wednesday.
The footballers, aged 11-16, and their 25-year-old coach assistant, who remain in the cave pending a solution to bring them out safely, will also require three to seven days for their stomachs to re-adjust to properly digest food after having done without for more than a week, he said.
The team members will also need to wear sunglasses once they are brought out of dark cave to give their eyes time to adjustment before getting the eye doctor's nod, said Jessada.
Chiangrai Prachanukroh Hospital has already prepared a separate large sterile room with equipment, giving it the capacity equivalent to that of an Intensive Care Unit and able to treat the 13 patients.
As two of the players suffer from asthma, specialist physicians would also be on hand at the hospital's sterile room, he added.
For the first day or two, the team would not be allowed visitors as they underwent detailed check-ups and treatment. The hospital has also arranged accommodation for the 50 registered family members so they could visit the youths periodically later, Jessada said.
Responding to media questions about whether plan had been prepared for the team members, Jessada replied that the ministry had from the beginning supported the rescue mission in terms of staff, medical supplies and food. After the players and coach were found in the cave on Monday, the ministry also created a transportation plan that involves a 15-minute helicopter ride or a one-hour ambulance ride to the hospital.
Jessada also urged any relatives, as well as officials or volunteers involved in the mission, to call for medical aid at the hospital's phone number (053910600) if they suspect they may have caught any cave-linked illnesses. Jessada also reported that prior to the children's discovery, six relatives had developed depression but their conditions had much improved after receiving the news of their discovery.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/ ... l/30349297
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Gaybutton
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Re: 13 Thais Missing during Caving Expedition
Trapped boys get dive lessons as rescuers prepare for extraction
July 4, 2018
MAE SAI, Chiang Rai: Rescue teams in northern Thailand were giving crash courses in swimming and diving on Wednesday as part of complex preparations to extract a young soccer squad trapped in a cave, and hoping for a swift end to their harrowing 11-day ordeal.
Divers, medics, counsellors and Thai navy Seals were with the 12 schoolboys and their 25-year-old coach, providing medicines and food while experts assessed conditions for getting them out safely, a task the government said would not be easy.
"The water is very strong and space is narrow. Extracting the children takes a lot of people," Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan told reporters.
"Now we are teaching the children to swim and dive," he said, adding that if water levels fell and the flow weakened, they would be taken out quickly.
By late on Tuesday, about 120 million litres of water had been pumped out, or about 1.6 million every hour.
It was unclear what the options were to get the "Wild Boar" team out of the Tham Luang caves in Chiang Rai province and how they would be steered through tight, fluid conditions and uncertain weather.
Experts say divers have required three hours to reach the boys, located about 4km from the mouth of the cave.
A group of about 30 divers in wetsuits was seen preparing kit and heading for the caves on Wednesday, accompanied by military personnel and a foreign cave expert.
A video released by the Seals showed two rescuers seated on an elevated part of the cave beside boys wrapped in emergency foil blankets who appeared to be in good spirits, occasionally laughing.
A torch is shone on each boy, who says hello and introduces himself with head bowed and palms pressed together in a traditional "wai" greeting.
A young player wears what appears to be the red jersey of the England soccer team in Tuesday's World Cup second-round victory over Colombia. Another wears the blue shirt of English team Chelsea.
Nightmare outing
The group was discovered by the Seals and two British cave diving experts on Monday, having been incommunicado since June 23, when a post-practice outing went awry, prompting the high-profile search and rescue effort.
News that the team had survived sparked relief, celebrations and an outpouring of praise in a country transfixed by the drama and its almost blanket media coverage.
Chiang Rai Governor Narongsak Osottanakorn said the authorities were keen to get the boys out and suggested it might have to happen in phases, but only when safe.
"All 13 don't have to come out at the same time," he told reporters. "Who is ready first can go first."
Officials have dismissed as speculation reports that the boys could be trapped for up to four months, although supplies have been prepared for that period of time.
Weerachon Sukondhapatipak, a deputy government spokesman, said there was much work to be done in preparing the boys for what could be a demanding task, and rescue teams should not be pressured to act faster.
"Some of them can't swim, so therefore it will take time for them to adjust," he said.
"Officials would teach them how to move, how to dive, how to move their body under those circumstances."
Somboon Sompiangjai, 38, said his son Peerapat, 16, was able to swim, adding that he was confident the Seals' experience and professionalism would let them get the boys home safely.
"I am not worried if the kids have to swim and dive," he told Reuters.
"I felt much better after seeing the clips with the children in good spirits, even though they were in there for 10 days."
Story, video, and photos: https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/genera ... extraction
__________________________________________________
'Wild Boars' football team in good health, but skinny
July 4, 2018
CHIANG RAI: Twelve boys and their football coach appear in good health, but very thin from lack of food, in their latest video since being found alive, trapped deep inside flooded Tham Luang cave, on Monday night- with still no indication when they will be brought out.
The Under-16 team members looked a little fresher after eating their first food in over a week and a medical examination. They are each seen greeting viewers with a "wai", introducing themselves and saying, "I'm in good health."
The clip was posted on the Thai NavySeal facebook page on Wednesday morning. A team of navy divers of the elite Underwater Demolition Team (UDT), nicknamed the Seals, and a doctor were with them.
They were found on Monday night, the 10th night of searching since the group went missing in the cave complex after football practice on the afternoon of June 23.
"Let's say something to your fans," a navy diver sitting next to the boys says in the video, urging them to greet their families and all the people who wish they have a safe trip out of Tham Luang.
Wearing emergency foil blankets to keep themselves warm, each gives a short greeting.
An earlier video, posed on FM91 TrafficPro Facebook page, showed a military doctor treating small foot injuries found on one of the boys.
Rescuers have carried food supplies through the caverns to Noen Nom Sao, a high area deep inside the cave where the 13 footballers had taken refuge from the flood water, and divers are installing a telephone line to enable them to talk with their families.
Naval officers said they needed to stockpile food for at least a four-month stay, describing this as a worst-case scenario in which all exits remained blocked by deep, strongly-flowing muddy water.
Chiang Rai governor Narongsak Osotthanakorn, who is in charge of the rescue mission, repeated on Wednesday that the boys and their coach would be brought out of the cave only when rescuers were confident it would be safe to do so.
"That's why I've never announced exact numbers" or dates to relocate the group, Mr Narongsak said.
Authorities would not put the boys and their coach at risk. But that did not mean they would wait until all the water was drained out, he said.
A "safe level of water" would be the deciding factor. It was too soon to say this would be, Mr Narongsak said.
Teams of rescuers, including soldiers and irrigation officials, continue their efforts to reduce the water flow into the cave, while also searching for cave shafts that could provide another exit route.
Leaving through a shaft or diving out of the cave were currently the only two options, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said on Wednesday. While the right shaft had not yet been found, diving through the cave passageways was not an easy way out. "It is not a straight tunnel," he said.
In addition to pumping water out, temporary weirs have been built across creeks near Tham Luang to divert water away from the cave, Chongkhlai Waraphongsathon, deputy chief of the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department, said on Wednesday.
Weirs were an effective way to deal with the large amount of water flowing down Khun Nam Nang Non mountain range where the cave is located, he said.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/genera ... but-skinny
July 4, 2018
MAE SAI, Chiang Rai: Rescue teams in northern Thailand were giving crash courses in swimming and diving on Wednesday as part of complex preparations to extract a young soccer squad trapped in a cave, and hoping for a swift end to their harrowing 11-day ordeal.
Divers, medics, counsellors and Thai navy Seals were with the 12 schoolboys and their 25-year-old coach, providing medicines and food while experts assessed conditions for getting them out safely, a task the government said would not be easy.
"The water is very strong and space is narrow. Extracting the children takes a lot of people," Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan told reporters.
"Now we are teaching the children to swim and dive," he said, adding that if water levels fell and the flow weakened, they would be taken out quickly.
By late on Tuesday, about 120 million litres of water had been pumped out, or about 1.6 million every hour.
It was unclear what the options were to get the "Wild Boar" team out of the Tham Luang caves in Chiang Rai province and how they would be steered through tight, fluid conditions and uncertain weather.
Experts say divers have required three hours to reach the boys, located about 4km from the mouth of the cave.
A group of about 30 divers in wetsuits was seen preparing kit and heading for the caves on Wednesday, accompanied by military personnel and a foreign cave expert.
A video released by the Seals showed two rescuers seated on an elevated part of the cave beside boys wrapped in emergency foil blankets who appeared to be in good spirits, occasionally laughing.
A torch is shone on each boy, who says hello and introduces himself with head bowed and palms pressed together in a traditional "wai" greeting.
A young player wears what appears to be the red jersey of the England soccer team in Tuesday's World Cup second-round victory over Colombia. Another wears the blue shirt of English team Chelsea.
Nightmare outing
The group was discovered by the Seals and two British cave diving experts on Monday, having been incommunicado since June 23, when a post-practice outing went awry, prompting the high-profile search and rescue effort.
News that the team had survived sparked relief, celebrations and an outpouring of praise in a country transfixed by the drama and its almost blanket media coverage.
Chiang Rai Governor Narongsak Osottanakorn said the authorities were keen to get the boys out and suggested it might have to happen in phases, but only when safe.
"All 13 don't have to come out at the same time," he told reporters. "Who is ready first can go first."
Officials have dismissed as speculation reports that the boys could be trapped for up to four months, although supplies have been prepared for that period of time.
Weerachon Sukondhapatipak, a deputy government spokesman, said there was much work to be done in preparing the boys for what could be a demanding task, and rescue teams should not be pressured to act faster.
"Some of them can't swim, so therefore it will take time for them to adjust," he said.
"Officials would teach them how to move, how to dive, how to move their body under those circumstances."
Somboon Sompiangjai, 38, said his son Peerapat, 16, was able to swim, adding that he was confident the Seals' experience and professionalism would let them get the boys home safely.
"I am not worried if the kids have to swim and dive," he told Reuters.
"I felt much better after seeing the clips with the children in good spirits, even though they were in there for 10 days."
Story, video, and photos: https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/genera ... extraction
__________________________________________________
'Wild Boars' football team in good health, but skinny
July 4, 2018
CHIANG RAI: Twelve boys and their football coach appear in good health, but very thin from lack of food, in their latest video since being found alive, trapped deep inside flooded Tham Luang cave, on Monday night- with still no indication when they will be brought out.
The Under-16 team members looked a little fresher after eating their first food in over a week and a medical examination. They are each seen greeting viewers with a "wai", introducing themselves and saying, "I'm in good health."
The clip was posted on the Thai NavySeal facebook page on Wednesday morning. A team of navy divers of the elite Underwater Demolition Team (UDT), nicknamed the Seals, and a doctor were with them.
They were found on Monday night, the 10th night of searching since the group went missing in the cave complex after football practice on the afternoon of June 23.
"Let's say something to your fans," a navy diver sitting next to the boys says in the video, urging them to greet their families and all the people who wish they have a safe trip out of Tham Luang.
Wearing emergency foil blankets to keep themselves warm, each gives a short greeting.
An earlier video, posed on FM91 TrafficPro Facebook page, showed a military doctor treating small foot injuries found on one of the boys.
Rescuers have carried food supplies through the caverns to Noen Nom Sao, a high area deep inside the cave where the 13 footballers had taken refuge from the flood water, and divers are installing a telephone line to enable them to talk with their families.
Naval officers said they needed to stockpile food for at least a four-month stay, describing this as a worst-case scenario in which all exits remained blocked by deep, strongly-flowing muddy water.
Chiang Rai governor Narongsak Osotthanakorn, who is in charge of the rescue mission, repeated on Wednesday that the boys and their coach would be brought out of the cave only when rescuers were confident it would be safe to do so.
"That's why I've never announced exact numbers" or dates to relocate the group, Mr Narongsak said.
Authorities would not put the boys and their coach at risk. But that did not mean they would wait until all the water was drained out, he said.
A "safe level of water" would be the deciding factor. It was too soon to say this would be, Mr Narongsak said.
Teams of rescuers, including soldiers and irrigation officials, continue their efforts to reduce the water flow into the cave, while also searching for cave shafts that could provide another exit route.
Leaving through a shaft or diving out of the cave were currently the only two options, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said on Wednesday. While the right shaft had not yet been found, diving through the cave passageways was not an easy way out. "It is not a straight tunnel," he said.
In addition to pumping water out, temporary weirs have been built across creeks near Tham Luang to divert water away from the cave, Chongkhlai Waraphongsathon, deputy chief of the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department, said on Wednesday.
Weirs were an effective way to deal with the large amount of water flowing down Khun Nam Nang Non mountain range where the cave is located, he said.
https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/genera ... but-skinny
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Gaybutton
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Gaybutton
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Re: 13 Thais Missing during Caving Expedition
At the time of this post no final decisions have been made as to whether to attempt the dive rescue or have the boys wait, possibly for months, for the water to recede. Trying to drill a shaft as a possibility is also on the table.
They may decide to do all of those. If they think some of the boys could safely make it via the dive rescue, they might choose to attempt it, but only with those boys. Boys who they think wouldn't survive may have to wait for some other means of getting out.
Many cave diving experts consider the diving idea as far too dangerous to be attempted. The joy of finding them could easily become a tragedy if there are any serious injuries or fatalities during the attempt. There is worry about what could happen not only to the boys, but the rescuers are risking their lives too.
What I have not seen are any reports about what the parents want them to do. Are they in favor of or opposed to the dive rescue?
Whatever they are going to do, they can't wait much longer to reach their decisions.
Then, I suppose not entirely unexpected, some want to see the coach and the boys punished for having gone into the cave in the first place and causing an "international fuss." That is an attitude I don't like, to put it very mildly, but people are entitled to their opinions. See: https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/genera ... ys-actions
Here are some more interviews with cave rescue experts:
They may decide to do all of those. If they think some of the boys could safely make it via the dive rescue, they might choose to attempt it, but only with those boys. Boys who they think wouldn't survive may have to wait for some other means of getting out.
Many cave diving experts consider the diving idea as far too dangerous to be attempted. The joy of finding them could easily become a tragedy if there are any serious injuries or fatalities during the attempt. There is worry about what could happen not only to the boys, but the rescuers are risking their lives too.
What I have not seen are any reports about what the parents want them to do. Are they in favor of or opposed to the dive rescue?
Whatever they are going to do, they can't wait much longer to reach their decisions.
Then, I suppose not entirely unexpected, some want to see the coach and the boys punished for having gone into the cave in the first place and causing an "international fuss." That is an attitude I don't like, to put it very mildly, but people are entitled to their opinions. See: https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/genera ... ys-actions
Here are some more interviews with cave rescue experts:
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Gaybutton
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Re: 13 Thais Missing during Caving Expedition
Diving the top option to evacuate 13 despite risk
July 05, 2018
Rescuers do not want to delay their exit due to upcoming rains and the possibility of more flooding in cave.
All 13 survivors are now familiarising themselves with diving gear as rescue planners concluded yesterday that they will have to dive through floodwaters to get out of the Tham Luang cave, where they have been stranded since June 23.
“The fittest of the survivors will be the first to come out,” Narongsak Osotanakorn, the head of the rescue operations, said yesterday. “Others will follow.”
The former Chiang Rai governor spoke as the floodwater level inside the cave subsided thanks to the powerful pumps, well-connected tubes, and diversion of the natural water flow around the Tham Luang cave system.
The easing of the flood situation has raised the prospects of helping the 13 footballers come out of the cave where they have spent 11 days.
“The floodwater level has been dropping by one centimetre per hour. If we can maintain this momentum, it should be safe enough to bring the kids out soon,” Narongsak said. On Tuesday, the US Cave Rescue Commission’s national coordinator Anmar Mirza said that while diving was the quickest option to bring the survivors out, it was also the “most dangerous” option.
But the option of letting the survivors stay inside the cave until the floodwaters completely receded was yesterday ruled out amid the significant risk of impending heavy downpours that could again leave the cave flooded. The 10-kilometre-long cave in Chiang Rai province is normally flooded between July and November every year. On Monday night, experienced cave divers from Britain found the missing football team at a spot about 5km from the cave’s entrance.
The 13 survivors will stay put at their current location while detailed preparations are being made for their safe evacuation. They have been joined by Royal Thai Navy SEALs and are also supplied with soft food, water, light, medicine, thermal blankets and diving gear.
Learning to dive
The survivors were yesterday taught to wear full-face masks and practice breathing.
Medics, including Army doctor Colonel Pak Loharachun, have completed health checks for all team members and found them relatively healthy. A video clip released yesterday showed the footballers had minor wounds and were apparently eager to leave the cave. One footballer asked, “Can we go out today?” Pak told the boys to be patient, explaining that despite his diving skills it took him six hours to move from the third chamber of the cave to the current location of the survivors.
The third chamber of the cave, which is about two kilometres from the entrance, is now operating as the forward command of the rescue operations. Lighting and communication devices have been installed there and also supplied with oxygen tanks, medicine and all other necessary supplies.
From the third chamber to the flooded T-junction is a distance of about 800 metres. From that intersection, there is a narrow and completely submerged passage that requires rescue teams to dive to get through. The floodwater level there was nearly five metres as of press time.
After getting out of this narrow passage, rescue teams have to climb and hike a stretch of 400 metres. This zone is dry. Then, they have to dive for about another 130 metres to reach the so-called Pattaya Beach. Then the team must walk further over the beach before making another 400-metre-long dive to reach the slope where the survivors have gathered.
All these survivors will have to be taught to swim and dive before being escorted out.
Even with diving experts by their side, the team will have to dive and swim on their own at some points in the journey out of the cave.
The two Britons who first located the missing victims – Richard Stanton and John Volanthen – have remained with the rescue team to help with the safe evacuation. The other British expert, Robert Harper, who was in his 70s, had to leave Chiang Rai province yesterday, though, to undergo a medical check-up in his homeland.
A rescue team from the United States Indo-Pacific Command has also vowed to support the operations at the Tham Luang cave until all 13 survivors are safely brought out.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/ ... l/30349329
July 05, 2018
Rescuers do not want to delay their exit due to upcoming rains and the possibility of more flooding in cave.
All 13 survivors are now familiarising themselves with diving gear as rescue planners concluded yesterday that they will have to dive through floodwaters to get out of the Tham Luang cave, where they have been stranded since June 23.
“The fittest of the survivors will be the first to come out,” Narongsak Osotanakorn, the head of the rescue operations, said yesterday. “Others will follow.”
The former Chiang Rai governor spoke as the floodwater level inside the cave subsided thanks to the powerful pumps, well-connected tubes, and diversion of the natural water flow around the Tham Luang cave system.
The easing of the flood situation has raised the prospects of helping the 13 footballers come out of the cave where they have spent 11 days.
“The floodwater level has been dropping by one centimetre per hour. If we can maintain this momentum, it should be safe enough to bring the kids out soon,” Narongsak said. On Tuesday, the US Cave Rescue Commission’s national coordinator Anmar Mirza said that while diving was the quickest option to bring the survivors out, it was also the “most dangerous” option.
But the option of letting the survivors stay inside the cave until the floodwaters completely receded was yesterday ruled out amid the significant risk of impending heavy downpours that could again leave the cave flooded. The 10-kilometre-long cave in Chiang Rai province is normally flooded between July and November every year. On Monday night, experienced cave divers from Britain found the missing football team at a spot about 5km from the cave’s entrance.
The 13 survivors will stay put at their current location while detailed preparations are being made for their safe evacuation. They have been joined by Royal Thai Navy SEALs and are also supplied with soft food, water, light, medicine, thermal blankets and diving gear.
Learning to dive
The survivors were yesterday taught to wear full-face masks and practice breathing.
Medics, including Army doctor Colonel Pak Loharachun, have completed health checks for all team members and found them relatively healthy. A video clip released yesterday showed the footballers had minor wounds and were apparently eager to leave the cave. One footballer asked, “Can we go out today?” Pak told the boys to be patient, explaining that despite his diving skills it took him six hours to move from the third chamber of the cave to the current location of the survivors.
The third chamber of the cave, which is about two kilometres from the entrance, is now operating as the forward command of the rescue operations. Lighting and communication devices have been installed there and also supplied with oxygen tanks, medicine and all other necessary supplies.
From the third chamber to the flooded T-junction is a distance of about 800 metres. From that intersection, there is a narrow and completely submerged passage that requires rescue teams to dive to get through. The floodwater level there was nearly five metres as of press time.
After getting out of this narrow passage, rescue teams have to climb and hike a stretch of 400 metres. This zone is dry. Then, they have to dive for about another 130 metres to reach the so-called Pattaya Beach. Then the team must walk further over the beach before making another 400-metre-long dive to reach the slope where the survivors have gathered.
All these survivors will have to be taught to swim and dive before being escorted out.
Even with diving experts by their side, the team will have to dive and swim on their own at some points in the journey out of the cave.
The two Britons who first located the missing victims – Richard Stanton and John Volanthen – have remained with the rescue team to help with the safe evacuation. The other British expert, Robert Harper, who was in his 70s, had to leave Chiang Rai province yesterday, though, to undergo a medical check-up in his homeland.
A rescue team from the United States Indo-Pacific Command has also vowed to support the operations at the Tham Luang cave until all 13 survivors are safely brought out.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/ ... l/30349329
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Gaybutton
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Re: 13 Thais Missing during Caving Expedition
Here is some of the latest:
1. At the time of this post still no decision has been announced as to whether they will attempt the dive out rescue or try alternative options. There are strong currents, but the currents are heading toward the cave entrance. The boys are being crash course trained.
2. Doctors are trying to determine if the boys are physically capable of the dive out.
3. So far, the weather is holding, but more rains are still expected - and soon.
4. Of course, a snafu. One group of volunteers set up their own water pumps, without permission or consulting anyone, and started pumping water out of the cave. I don't know the details, but apparently where they had the water draining resulted in actually putting water back into the cave. Fortunately they were stopped before causing a serious problem.
5. Yesterday they tried to put in fiber-optic cable so the boys could talk to their parents. Something went wrong and the cable was damaged, rendering it useless. Today they are trying again.
6. Openings that could allow rain water to get into the cave are being hunted down and plugged in hopes of preventing,, as much as possible, more water from entering the cave.
1. At the time of this post still no decision has been announced as to whether they will attempt the dive out rescue or try alternative options. There are strong currents, but the currents are heading toward the cave entrance. The boys are being crash course trained.
2. Doctors are trying to determine if the boys are physically capable of the dive out.
3. So far, the weather is holding, but more rains are still expected - and soon.
4. Of course, a snafu. One group of volunteers set up their own water pumps, without permission or consulting anyone, and started pumping water out of the cave. I don't know the details, but apparently where they had the water draining resulted in actually putting water back into the cave. Fortunately they were stopped before causing a serious problem.
5. Yesterday they tried to put in fiber-optic cable so the boys could talk to their parents. Something went wrong and the cable was damaged, rendering it useless. Today they are trying again.
6. Openings that could allow rain water to get into the cave are being hunted down and plugged in hopes of preventing,, as much as possible, more water from entering the cave.
Re: 13 Thais Missing during Caving Expedition
Keep pumping...walk em out...even if they stranded another month...the only solution.
Young Thai boys are tough as nails and now receiving food, heat blankets, medical attention, etc. from very competent Navy SEALS. Once enough water is pumped out I can see them wading out led by SEALS in waste-deep water hand-in-hand.
At least I hope my prediction comes true.
Young Thai boys are tough as nails and now receiving food, heat blankets, medical attention, etc. from very competent Navy SEALS. Once enough water is pumped out I can see them wading out led by SEALS in waste-deep water hand-in-hand.
At least I hope my prediction comes true.
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Gaybutton
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Re: 13 Thais Missing during Caving Expedition
However they decide to do it, let's just hope they manage to get them all out, including the rescuers themselves, alive, safe, no injuries, and soon.Dodger wrote:At least I hope my prediction comes true.
I'm still surprised there are no reports, at least none I've found, about what the parents are thinking about the rescue options.
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Gaybutton
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Re: 13 Thais Missing during Caving Expedition
At the moment it looks as if the attempt to rescue the boys by diving may be off the table.
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Thai cave rescue: Boys and coach not well enough to attempt escape
By Euan McKirdy and Kocha Olarn, CNN
July 5, 2018
Chiang Rai, Thailand (CNN) - A medical assessment of the 12 boys and their football coach stuck in a cave in Northern Thailand has concluded that it is too dangerous to try to move the group out Thursday, according to a member of the Thai Navy Seals who is not authorized to speak to the media. The Seals have also started to pump oxygen into the chamber.
Separately, a new doctor's report highlighted that two of the boys and the coach were suffering with exhaustion from malnutrition.
Fresh details of the operation underway at the Tham Luang Nang Non to free the team were emerging on Thursday, as rescuers pushed ahead with multiple plans to extricate the group trapped underground for almost two weeks.
More rain is forecast this weekend, putting pressure on rescuers to formulate a plan to extract the boys before flood waters rise any higher.
Huge volumes of water are being pumped out of the cave complex each day, but the narrow, winding passages inside are still flooded, meaning diving through the murky water is currently the only way in and out.
Rescuers entering the cave complex located in northern Thailand have to navigate dark, flooded tunnels for six hours to reach the team. It takes another five hours to return to the entrance.
Around the camp which has sprung up near the cave entrance, Thai military divers have set up an encampment with diving gear and equipment, while people from the local community hand out food to rescuers, other volunteers and the small army of press on site.
Trying to stop the water
Despite spending almost two weeks underground, Chiang Rai governor Narongsak Osottanakorn said Thursday the boys were in good spirits.
"I confirm here again that they are in good health and they are smiling and playing around," he said.
The last images the world saw of the boys was on Wednesday in a video where they introduced themselves one-by-one, saying "I am healthy."
Since they were found late Monday local time by a duo of British expert cave divers, Thai Navy SEALs have stayed with the team, tending minor wounds and giving them food to build up their strength.
The boys remain weak after spending days in the darkness, barely moving from the small, muddy ledge, away from the water.
While rescuers are trying to pump enough water out of the cave to allow the boys to simply walk out, Thai Navy SEALs are also teaching them how to scuba dive.
The boys would need to wear full-face diving masks to enter the narrow tunnels in moving water, though many experts say this would be a dangerous option for novice divers.
In an attempt to maintain the boys' morale, rescue teams have prioritized installing a line of communication between the boys and their parents.
However, they were still attempting to connect them Thursday after earlier efforts failed when the line became damaged after falling into water. On Thursday, CNN saw an old-style military phone and loops of cable being carried into the cave by engineers.
Search for other entrances continues
As divers work in tunnels deep below ground, teams are also scouring the hillside above the caves, looking for possible entry points to the chamber where the boys are sheltering.
"We are drawing our jungle trekking resources together. There are about 20 to 30 teams," Osottanakorn said.
"Now we are going to walk around that area to search every inch, (to see if) there are chimneys or holes where we can climb down, and we may adjust our plan."
The teams searching for another route through a natural chimney were dispatched following reports that the boys had told divers they heard dogs barking, a rooster crowing and children playing, possibly indicating a shaft leading up to the surface.
"There has been reports that kids have heard sounds from chickens and birds," Ben Reymenants, a Belgian who owns a diving shop in Thailand and has been assisting with the rescue efforts, told CNN.
"Were those hallucinations or did they really hear it? Because that would mean there is livestock nearby or at least a forest which would make an alternative entrance possible."
Osottanakorn said that teams on the surface were no longer drilling into the rock to create new shafts, but are focusing efforts on finding existing chimneys.
"We are no longer digging -- we will find a way that can give us access (without digging) direct to the area where the boys are," he said.
Rains a constant concern
Rescue coordinators are warily eying the skies for further downpours, which could imperil the rescue mission.
"In the previous days we were fighting with time. And now we are working against water," Osottanakorn said.
"We are draining out as much as our capacity allows. But water continues to flow in, no matter how many holes have been blocked, water still continues to pour in."
Osottanakorn said rescuers were at the mercy of the rainy season, and may have to act quickly to beat fresh downpours.
"If we must evacuate (the boys) out before they are ready due to the rain ... we will do so, but it will be the very last resort to do so," he said.
CNN Weather reports that while rain can't be ruled out, there is a likelihood that the area will remain relatively dry until at least Saturday.
The chance of rainfall increases from Sunday, and alongside the increased rainfall is the threat of heavier downpours.
International efforts
Thai Navy divers have brought in substantial supplies -- including food and water for at least two weeks along with aluminum blankets, with support from Australian and other international divers, according to a statement from the Australian Federal Police (AFP).
The AFP's Specialist Response Group (SRG) personnel are among the many divers and support staff who have been sent by a number of nations.
The Australians on the ground "remain closely engaged in efforts to support and sustain the group, as well as in planning. This includes supporting the Royal Thai Navy to transport food, water and first aid supplies into the cave system through to the group."
They are also cooperating with Thai Navy colleagues and the wider international dive teams to stock dive tanks and other equipment throughout the route to aid the eventual evacuation of the isolated cavern.
They are part of an international contingent that includes teams from the US military, the UK, and China.
Story, photos, graphics, videos: https://edition.cnn.com/2018/07/05/asia ... index.html
______________________________________________________________________________
Thai cave rescue: Boys and coach not well enough to attempt escape
By Euan McKirdy and Kocha Olarn, CNN
July 5, 2018
Chiang Rai, Thailand (CNN) - A medical assessment of the 12 boys and their football coach stuck in a cave in Northern Thailand has concluded that it is too dangerous to try to move the group out Thursday, according to a member of the Thai Navy Seals who is not authorized to speak to the media. The Seals have also started to pump oxygen into the chamber.
Separately, a new doctor's report highlighted that two of the boys and the coach were suffering with exhaustion from malnutrition.
Fresh details of the operation underway at the Tham Luang Nang Non to free the team were emerging on Thursday, as rescuers pushed ahead with multiple plans to extricate the group trapped underground for almost two weeks.
More rain is forecast this weekend, putting pressure on rescuers to formulate a plan to extract the boys before flood waters rise any higher.
Huge volumes of water are being pumped out of the cave complex each day, but the narrow, winding passages inside are still flooded, meaning diving through the murky water is currently the only way in and out.
Rescuers entering the cave complex located in northern Thailand have to navigate dark, flooded tunnels for six hours to reach the team. It takes another five hours to return to the entrance.
Around the camp which has sprung up near the cave entrance, Thai military divers have set up an encampment with diving gear and equipment, while people from the local community hand out food to rescuers, other volunteers and the small army of press on site.
Trying to stop the water
Despite spending almost two weeks underground, Chiang Rai governor Narongsak Osottanakorn said Thursday the boys were in good spirits.
"I confirm here again that they are in good health and they are smiling and playing around," he said.
The last images the world saw of the boys was on Wednesday in a video where they introduced themselves one-by-one, saying "I am healthy."
Since they were found late Monday local time by a duo of British expert cave divers, Thai Navy SEALs have stayed with the team, tending minor wounds and giving them food to build up their strength.
The boys remain weak after spending days in the darkness, barely moving from the small, muddy ledge, away from the water.
While rescuers are trying to pump enough water out of the cave to allow the boys to simply walk out, Thai Navy SEALs are also teaching them how to scuba dive.
The boys would need to wear full-face diving masks to enter the narrow tunnels in moving water, though many experts say this would be a dangerous option for novice divers.
In an attempt to maintain the boys' morale, rescue teams have prioritized installing a line of communication between the boys and their parents.
However, they were still attempting to connect them Thursday after earlier efforts failed when the line became damaged after falling into water. On Thursday, CNN saw an old-style military phone and loops of cable being carried into the cave by engineers.
Search for other entrances continues
As divers work in tunnels deep below ground, teams are also scouring the hillside above the caves, looking for possible entry points to the chamber where the boys are sheltering.
"We are drawing our jungle trekking resources together. There are about 20 to 30 teams," Osottanakorn said.
"Now we are going to walk around that area to search every inch, (to see if) there are chimneys or holes where we can climb down, and we may adjust our plan."
The teams searching for another route through a natural chimney were dispatched following reports that the boys had told divers they heard dogs barking, a rooster crowing and children playing, possibly indicating a shaft leading up to the surface.
"There has been reports that kids have heard sounds from chickens and birds," Ben Reymenants, a Belgian who owns a diving shop in Thailand and has been assisting with the rescue efforts, told CNN.
"Were those hallucinations or did they really hear it? Because that would mean there is livestock nearby or at least a forest which would make an alternative entrance possible."
Osottanakorn said that teams on the surface were no longer drilling into the rock to create new shafts, but are focusing efforts on finding existing chimneys.
"We are no longer digging -- we will find a way that can give us access (without digging) direct to the area where the boys are," he said.
Rains a constant concern
Rescue coordinators are warily eying the skies for further downpours, which could imperil the rescue mission.
"In the previous days we were fighting with time. And now we are working against water," Osottanakorn said.
"We are draining out as much as our capacity allows. But water continues to flow in, no matter how many holes have been blocked, water still continues to pour in."
Osottanakorn said rescuers were at the mercy of the rainy season, and may have to act quickly to beat fresh downpours.
"If we must evacuate (the boys) out before they are ready due to the rain ... we will do so, but it will be the very last resort to do so," he said.
CNN Weather reports that while rain can't be ruled out, there is a likelihood that the area will remain relatively dry until at least Saturday.
The chance of rainfall increases from Sunday, and alongside the increased rainfall is the threat of heavier downpours.
International efforts
Thai Navy divers have brought in substantial supplies -- including food and water for at least two weeks along with aluminum blankets, with support from Australian and other international divers, according to a statement from the Australian Federal Police (AFP).
The AFP's Specialist Response Group (SRG) personnel are among the many divers and support staff who have been sent by a number of nations.
The Australians on the ground "remain closely engaged in efforts to support and sustain the group, as well as in planning. This includes supporting the Royal Thai Navy to transport food, water and first aid supplies into the cave system through to the group."
They are also cooperating with Thai Navy colleagues and the wider international dive teams to stock dive tanks and other equipment throughout the route to aid the eventual evacuation of the isolated cavern.
They are part of an international contingent that includes teams from the US military, the UK, and China.
Story, photos, graphics, videos: https://edition.cnn.com/2018/07/05/asia ... index.html