11th boy reported rescued from Tham Luang cave(VIDEO)
Rescue personnel prepare the transport for the evacuation of the boys and their soccer coach trapped in a flooded cave, in the northern province of Chiang Rai, Thailand, on Tuesday. (FACEBOOK/POLICE THAILAND NEWS/via REUTERS)
MAE SAI, Chiang Rai: The 9th, 10th and 11th boys safely emerged from Tham Luang cave late Tuesday afternoon.
“The 9th Wild Boar was out of the cave at 4.06pm,” the Thai Navy Seals posted on Facebook on Tuesday, the projected final day of the mission.
A source said the 10th followed shortly, followed by the 11th at 5.08pm.Authorities said earlier they would bring the remaining people in the cave — four boys, the football coach, as well as a doctor and three Seals staying with them — on Tuesday.
That leaves one more boy and the 25-year-old football coach to be freed from the underground complex that has trapped them for over two weeks.
“The 10th is at the cave entrance on the way to the field hospital,” a navy official told AFP, requesting anonymity. A local government official confirmed the rescue while a police source, who also did not want to be named, said “the ninth and tenth were about 20 minutes apart.”
Authorities said earlier they hoped to bring the remaining people in the cave — four boys, the football coach, as well as a doctor and three Seals staying with them — on Tuesday.
Earlier on Tuesday, rescue leader Gov Narongsak Osatanakorn said divers are carrying out what they hope is a final mission to save four boys and their soccer coach trapped in a flooded Thai cave for more than two weeks, as health experts gave the eight already brought out a chocolate treat and described them as being in good spirits.
The rescue chief said Tuesday’s intricate and high-risk operation began just after 10am and involves 19 divers. A medic and three Thai Navy Seals who have stayed with the boys on a small, dry shelf deep in the flooded cave will also come out, he said.
“We expect that if there is no unusual condition … the four boys, one coach, the doctor, and three Seals who have been with the boys since the first day will come out today,” he told a news conference to loud cheering.
Gov Narongnsak said this phase may take longer than the previous two rescue missions. The first and longest mission took 11 hours.
The eight boys brought out by divers over the previous two days are in “high spirits” and have strong immune systems because they are soccer players, a senior health official said.
Doctors were being cautious because of the infection risk and were isolating the boys in the hospital. They did get a treat, however: bread with chocolate spread that they’d requested.
The plight of the boys and their coach has riveted Thailand and much of the world – from the heart-sinking news they were missing to the first flickering video of the huddle of anxious yet smiling boys when they were found 10 days later by a pair of British divers. They were trapped in the Tham Luan Nang Non cave that became flooded by monsoon rains while they were exploring it after a soccer practice on June 23.
At a news conference, Jedsada Chokdumrongsuk, permanent secretary at the Public Health Ministry, said the first four boys rescued, aged 12 to 16, are now able to eat normal food, though they can’t yet eat spicy food.
Two of the boys possibly have a lung infection but all eight are generally “healthy and smiling,” he said.
“The kids are footballers so they have high immune systems,” Dr Jedsada said. “Everyone is in high spirits and are happy to get out. But we will have a psychiatrist to evaluate them.”
It could be at least seven days before they can be released from hospital, Dr Jedsada told a news conference.
Family members have seen at least some of the boys from behind a glass isolation barrier, and Dr Jedsada said doctors may let the boys walk around their beds Tuesday.
It was clear doctors were taking a cautious approach. Dr Jedsada said they were uncertain what type of infections the boys could face “because we have never experienced this kind of issue from a deep cave.”
If medical tests show no dangers, after another two days parents will be able to enter the isolation area dressed in sterilised clothing and staying 2 metres away from the boys, said Tosthep Bunthong, Chiang Rai Public Health Chief.
The second group of four rescued on Monday are aged 12 to 14.
At least nine ambulances and a convoy of other vehicles were at the cave site Tuesday.
Heavy rains in the morning cleared during the day, a reassuring sign for rescuers who have feared monsoon rains could imperil the rescue.
Officials scotched any chance of using tech billionaire Elon Musk’s mini sub made of rocket parts to rescue the remaining boys.
Gov Narongsak said he was grateful for Musk’s support but the equipment was impractical for the rescue mission.
Musk on Tuesday visited the cave and posted pictures and videos online. He said he left the equipment there in case rescuers could use it in the future.
- Earlier video report:
“No kid has cave dived like this before”: Meet one of the divers working to free the boys trapped in a cave in Thailand #ThaiCaveRescueSource:.bangkokpost.com