Twelve boys and their leader were out exploring caves when a monsoon came up. They’ve been missing since June 23rd. British divers found them in the cave where they took shelter from the storm.
The rescuers are teaching some of the boys to dive and swim in hopes of getting at least some of them out right away but treacherous conditions prevail and is making the task at hand difficult at best. The boys range in ages from 11 to 16. They have been stranded deep inside the Tham Luang Nang cave in Thailand’s Chiang Rai province for 12 days.
No word on how long it would take for the water to recede but considering it is still treacherous after 10 days the prognosis is not good.
Some of the boys do not know how to swim and flooding in the caves means the boys would likely have to dive to be able to escape, which rescue experts say could be extremely dangerous, especially for people with no experience with scuba gear.
New video released by Thailand’s Navy Seals shows 12 boys and their coach, stuck in a flooded cave. Authorities say the group is relatively healthy and getting food. Officials are deciding how to get them out. (July 4) AP
Thai media reported the boys have been practicing using dive masks and other equipment but have not yet tried them out in water.
“The water is very strong and space is narrow. Extracting the children takes a lot of people,” Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan told reporters in Thailand on Wednesday. “Now we are teaching the children to swim and dive,” he said.
He added if the high water levels fell, the team would be taken out quickly.
The British divers who found the squad said it took three hours to reach them, as they faced fast-moving currents and had to pull themselves along cave walls.
The boys and their coach were trapped in the cave by a sudden influx of water.