There are few stories more inspiring than that of a narrowly-averted disaster. Perhaps it's because we're so often bombarded with tales of bloodshed, disaster and woe, but it feels like good news is very much in short supply these days, and you're more likely to hear about all the times when people were hurt or killed than when they were saved. This week, an amazing video has gone viral on social media, which shows a number of young boys and their coach being rescued from a dangerous cave network in Thailand, after being lost since June 23.
The twelve children, who are all aged between 11 and 16 years old, are members of the Wild Boar soccer team, who entered the Tham Luang Nang Non cave system several days prior, and then ended up stranded in the twisting and turning tunnels after sudden and continuous downpour flooded many of the cave entrances and left them stranded. An immediate and concentrated rescue effort was launched in a bid to save the lives of the unfortunate lads, with the Thai navy and medial personnel mobilising near the site. The children were eventually found and contacted by a team of British divers.
The Thai navy has since released a video, which appears to show a number of the young men stuck in the tunnels, illuminated by torchlight while a British diver spoke to them. The video shows the moment where the divers were able to confirm that all 13 members of the party, including the coach, were alive and well. The children were dazed, starving, and unaware of how long they had been trapped underground - expressing amazement when told they had been stuck in the caverns for 10 days in total.
However, the rescuers still have to safely help the boys and their coach reach safety, and will need to travel through almost a whole a mile of tunnels, large portions of which are underwater, approximately one kilometre to 800 metres underground. Thai authorities claim that the military will ultimately be responsible for deciding the group's fate. Some have suggested that they can be coached them to swim through the passages using scuba diving gear.
Narongsak Osottanakorn, governor of the Chiang Rai region, has since told reporters: "We will drain all water out from the cave then we will take all 13 people out of the cave. We are now planning how to send (a) nurse and doctor inside the cave to check their health and movement. We will work all night."
Rescue consultant Pat Moret added: "Worst case scenario is that they have to dive them out. So they're being fully immersed in water, wearing what we know is a full face mask or maybe even some sort of commercial dive helmet to make it a little less stressful for them. But it will be a truly terrifying experience." All we can do for now is pray that the boys will be delivered safely to their families.
