The Lost Boys

Airmen+from+the+U.S.+Indo-Pacific+Command+%28USINDOPACOM%29+meet+with+Royal+Thai+military+officials+and+a+Thai+engineering+company+to+advise+and+assist+in+the+rescue+operation+June+30%2C+2018%2C+at+Chiang+Rai%2C+Thailand.+The+United+States%2C+through+USINDOPACOM%2C+sent+a+search+and+rescue+team+to+Tham+Luang+cave+in+Northern+Thailand+at+the+request+of+the+Royal+Thai+government+to+assist+in+the+rescue+of+the+missing+Thai+soccer+players+and+their+coach.+Image+taken+from+the+website+of+the+DoD%2C+and+is+used+here+under+fair+use+law.+Image+taken+from+the+website+of+the+DoD%2C+and+is+used+here+under+fair+use+law.

Capt. Jessica Tait of the U.S. Air Force

Airmen from the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) meet with Royal Thai military officials and a Thai engineering company to advise and assist in the rescue operation June 30, 2018, at Chiang Rai, Thailand. The United States, through USINDOPACOM, sent a search and rescue team to Tham Luang cave in Northern Thailand at the request of the Royal Thai government to assist in the rescue of the missing Thai soccer players and their coach. Image taken from the website of the DoD, and is used here under fair use law. Image taken from the website of the DoD, and is used here under fair use law.

In Chiang Rai, Thailand, lies the Tham Luang Nang Non Cave, famously known as the cave where 12 boys and their soccer coach became trapped.

The boys, aged 11-15, and their coach entered the cave Saturday afternoon on June 23rd, 2018 to celebrate a teammate’s birthday and bond. The initial search began when a mother reported that her son did not return home that night after practice. Many became concerned, but none could have predicted the events to come.

Rescue crews entered the cave on Sunday and found evidence of the boys, including bags and sandals, 1.9 miles into the cave. Later, they suspended their search due to rising waters. Thai Royal Navy SEAL divers discovered hand prints on the walls of the cave the next day, but were held back by the elevating water levels and once again were forced to postpone the search. Heavy rains not only limited the diver’s search, but also the helicopter’s search from outside entrances of the cave. By late Wednesday night, about 1,000 army and navy troops, volunteers, and rescue specialists from the United States and United Kingdom allied together for the search of the lost boys and coach.

Torrents of rain continued to challenge the search, making the situation even more dangerous and frustrating. Heavy duty pumps were brought into the operations to fight the floodwater, unfortunately mother nature overpowered human nature, and the search was suspended for five hours.

Throughout the next couple of days, foreign equipment and experts were brought in from China, Australia, and other nations to aid the rescue effort. As the water levels continued to rise, hope fell as the families and community members nervously waited outside the of the cave’s opening. One mother cried, “My son, come on out! I am waiting for you here!” as another prayed, “Where is my child?”. It seemed as if everything was preventing these boys from being rescued, but families clung to hope.

Monday brought uplifting news: two British divers found all 12 boys and their coach alive 2.5 miles inside the cave, above the waters. Due to the water level, divers became their main source of contact to the outside world, delivering food, medical supplies, and aid. The divers also delivered letters from the boys to their family; one letter translated to “I love you, dad and mum. I love my siblings as well. When I come out, please take me to a pork pan shop”. Another boy wrote “I’m doing fine, but the air is a little cold but don’t worry. Although, don’t forget to set up my birthday party”.

Although the boys and the coach were found alive, the rescuers were unsure how to safely remove them. As highly trained as the rescuers were, they still faced difficulties, as the cave was submerged with water and mud and had tight, sharp spaces. Rescuers were forced to answer grueling question of whether they should wait out the flood or teach the boys the basics of scuba diving. In the past, tourists trapped in the cave were rescued by waiting for the water to abate, but given the circumstances, experts came to the conclusion that the only way to free the boys was for them to dive.

Rescuers knew that the mission was risky, but reality set in when diver Saman Kunan’s oxygen tank ran out while he was delivering oxygen to the boys. Kunan, a former Thai Navy SEAL, was described as a hero by both the families of the boys and the world wide news coverage.

Eighteen divers entered the cave on Sunday; and 11 grueling hours later, returned with four boys by their side. Over the next 24 hours and two missions, the remaining boys and their coach were rescued. Each boy was then rushed to the hospital, where they were welcomed by their family and nursed back to health.

Following the coach’s recovery, he was asked “Why go in?” The coach, Ake, explained that the team would usually participate in group activities and curiosity struck them about the cave. The team entered the cave and explored the tunnels for an hour, but when they tried to return, the cave was beginning to flood and the exit was blocked. Ake recalled someone asking, “Are we lost?”, but the team remained unfearful and calm even after they realized they were trapped. They found a slope near a water source to spend the night there. As the water level increased, they climbed to higher areas and drank from the water dripping off the roof. “Before we slept, I told them, ‘Let’s say a prayer.’ So we said a prayer that night.”

The boys were asked to recall their ordeal as well. One member, Titan, explained, “I tried to fill my stomach with water”. Another said, “I was thinking about fried rice. Or some chill dip”. Adun, a 14-year-old, remembers he and others were digging for a way out, when they heard voices in the distance. One was told shine a flashlight on the water, but was scared, so Adun shined the light. He said he was surprised to hear the divers speaking English, as he expected them to be Thai. The boys also explained how they formed relationships with the Thai Navy SEALs who waited in the caves with them during the rescue, and played checkers with them. While in the cave, the boys and coach did not realize that eyes from all around the world were watching them.

Now recovered from the ordeal, 11 of the 12 boys are dedicating a part of their life as Buddhist monks to honor the diver who lost his life during the mission.