Another cave rescue

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Gaybutton
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Another cave rescue

Post by Gaybutton »

Most of you probably remember the boys trapped in a flooded cave a few years ago. Now it has happened again, this time to a Buddhist monk who entered a cave to meditate. While he was in there the cave flooded, trapping him. A rescue effort is underway. Updates will be posted when we get them.
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Monk stuck in flooded cave

7 Apr 2021

PHITSANULOK: A Buddhist monk has been stranded inside a cave for several days after its entrance was flooded at the weekend. The unnamed monk, aged about 40, visited Phra Sai Ngam cave in Noen Maprang district during a pilgrimage to the jungle, said a local official.

Prasat Bun Sathan, a local rescue foundation, posted a photo of the cave on Facebook, saying the monk had been stuck inside since it was flooded on Sunday. The post was accompanied by a promise to keep the public posted on efforts to get the monk out and an update saying rescue workers were already at the scene.

Rear Admiral Supphachai Thanasarasakhon, chief of the navy's Naval Special Warfare Command, said a Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) team was being prepared to be sent to the cave to help should an SOS be received.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... ooded-cave
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Rescue workers hunt for monk trapped for several days now in flooded cave in Phitsanulok, Thailand

By Adam Judd

Tuesday, 6 April 2021

A 46-year-old monk who entered a deep series of caves in Phitsanulok, Thailand for meditation has become trapped according to local rescue officials after heavy rains flooded the caverns, bringing some to remember similar stories of a team of young football players trapped several years ago in a different cave system in Thailand.

The cave, called Tham Phra Sai Ngam, is located in Phitsanulok in lower Northern Thailand, in the Noen Maprang district within the Thung Salaeng National Park, and is an extremely deep and expansive cave according to both charts and materials found online and statements made by local rescue workers and residents.

The monk, Phra Ajarn Manat, 46, entered the cave for meditation around April 3rd according to both residents near the cavern and his fellow monks at a nearby temple. After he had gone deep into the cave for meditation heavy rains took place over the next several days, trapping the monk in the cave system. At this point, rescue workers believe he is alive and claims they have heard prayer and signs of life but are unable to reach the monk due to weather and deep flooding in the caverns.

The monk is believed to have been trapped in the caves for roughly four days now, with access to water but not food.

More than 30 rescue workers from the Prasat Boon Sathan Foundation along with other relevant agencies have been working in the cave system all day to attempt to reach and recover the trapped monk.

The Foundation has been providing regular updates on their rescue attempts for the monk, which has begun to draw national attention, on their Facebook here. As the cavern is flooded, the rescue will require divers and diving equipment, thus many remembering the similar situation with a group of trapped football players in 2018.

Phra Ajarn Manat reportedly regularly visits the caves for meditation and is well known by nearby villagers who bring alms and merit to the monk during his multi-day meditation trips. It was these local villagers who reported to rescue workers the high floodwaters and stated that they believed the well-known local monk had become trapped after heavy rains. This prompted the rescue efforts that began in earnest today. Monks from nearby temples have also been spotted at the cave entrance throughout the day, praying for the safety of Phra Ajarn Manat.

The flooded area of the cavern is located about 400 meters inside in a narrow passage that is now completely flooded, according to rescue workers, and only accessible with diving equipment.

As of 6:00 P.M. tonight, local authorities suspended the search for the night due to weather and darkness and plan to resume tomorrow morning at 8:00 A.M. They are also working with experienced cave divers and have reportedly contacted a cave rescue specialist and people familiar with this particular cave system. Weather conditions remain rainy, causing the risk of additional flooding in the caverns currently, however, rescue workers familiar with the cave state that they are quite confident the monk is alive as the section behind the flooded passage area is high ground and doesn’t flood.

https://thepattayanews.com/2021/04/06/r ... -thailand/
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Re: Another cave rescue

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Monk successfully rescued from flooded cave in Phitsanulok, Thailand after being trapped for nearly four days

By Adam Judd

7 April 2021

A 46-year-old-monk who had been on a meditation retreat inside a cave in a national park in Phitsanulok Thailand was rescued by a team of over thirty rescue workers, including experienced cave divers, after being trapped inside after heavy rains flooded a narrow passage deep within.

The cave, called Tham Phra Sai Ngam, is located in Phitsanulok in lower Northern Thailand, in the Noen Maprang district within the Thung Salaeng National Park.

The monk, Phra Ajarn Manat, 46, entered the cave for meditation around April 3rd according to both residents near the cavern and his fellow monks at a nearby temple. After he had gone deep into the cave for meditation heavy rains took place over the next several days, trapping the monk in the cave system. Local villagers who were aware he was meditating in the cavern and had been making merit to him called rescue teams who reportedly could hear him praying from deep within the caves. However, floodwaters had flooded a narrow passage leading to deeper portions of the cave where the monk was meditating.

More than 30 rescue workers from the Prasat Boon Sathan Foundation along with other relevant agencies worked to free the monk from the cave system where he was over 400 meters inside past a flooded passage.

As the cavern was flooded, the rescue required divers and diving equipment, thus many remembering the similar situation with a group of trapped football players in 2018.

Phra Ajarn Manat reportedly regularly visits the caves for meditation and is well known by nearby villagers who bring alms and merit to the monk during his multi-day meditation trips.

Phra Ajarn was removed with the help of rescue workers and divers who assisted him in swimming through the flooded portion of the cavern. He reportedly had a slight fever but otherwise was in good spirits and health and remained calm during the entire experience, reportedly stating he was given further time to fast and meditate and made the best out of a bad situation. He was taken to a local hospital for a routine checkup following the rescue.

https://tpnnational.com/2021/04/07/monk ... four-days/
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Re: Another cave rescue

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How quickly they forget.

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Re: Another cave rescue

Post by Gaybutton »

I hope between this incident and the cave boys incident people will have better sense than to go into caves during rainy season. Better still, keep out of caves at all. They not only put themselves at risk, but the rescuers too. During the cave boys rescue, you might remember one of the rescuers died trying to get them out.

I can't help but wonder how many people over the years entered caves, found themselves trapped, and nobody even knew they were in there or for whatever reasons were never rescued and ended up dying there. My guess is the tally is more than one.

I have trouble enough trusting the Sukhumvit tunnel in Pattaya during a heavy rain, much less going into a cave. At least this story had a good outcome, but it could easily have gone the other way. I hope people who have reasons to enter caves find some other way to accomplish whatever it is they're trying to accomplish.
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