BREAKING NEWS Thai boys trapped in cave to be given 4 months of food and taught how to dive

[webfact]

Long rescue ahead for Thai cave boys

 

Chiang Rai Prachanukroh Hospital in Chiang Rai has prepared beds and medical personnel to take care of the 12 boys and their deputy coach who were trapped inside a Chiang Rai cave since June 23 and were found on Monday night.

 

Mae Sai, Thailand - Rescuers braced for a long and difficult evacuation for 13 members of a Thai youth football team found alive in a cave after they went missing on June 23, as food and medicine was shuttled to them through muddy waters on Tuesday.  

 

The 12 young boys and their football coach were discovered rake thin and hungry on a mound of mud surrounded by water late Monday, ending the agonising search that captivated a nation. 

 

But the focus quickly shifted to the tricky task of how to evacuate them safely from the still-flooded caverns. 

Much-needed food and medical supplies -- including high-calorie gels and paracetamol -- reached them Tuesday as rescuers prepared for a prolonged extraction operation. 

 

The Thai military said it is providing months' worth of food and diving lessons to the boys to help them out of the waterlogged Tham Luang network in the country's monsoon-drenched north.

 

"(We will) prepare to send additional food to be sustained for at least four months and train all 13 to dive while continuing to drain the water," Navy Captain Anand Surawan said. 

 

He refused to say how long they might be trapped, but experts said it could take weeks or even months. 

 

The astonishing rescue sparked jubilation across the country after the country mounted a massive and gruelling operation beset by heavy downpours and fast-moving floodwaters.

 

"We called this 'mission impossible' because it rained every day... but with our determination and equipment we fought nature," Chiang Rai governor Narongsak Osottanakorn said Tuesday. 

 

The boys were discovered at about 10:00 pm Monday by British divers some 400 metres (1,300 feet) from where they were believed to be stranded several kilometres inside the cave. 

 

In the video, posted on the Thai Navy SEAL Facebook page, one of the boys asks the rescuers to "go outside".

 

In response the British diver says: "No, no not today... many, many people are coming... we are the first," in reference to the vast and complex rescue operation that has taken over the mountainside.

 

 - 'Unimaginable' rescue -

    

The harrowing task of getting the boys out is complicated by the fact that they are in a weak state and are not experienced divers. 

 

The rugged and wet kilometres-long course toward the entrance take a healthy SEAL diver six hours.

 

If diving proves impossible, there is an outside chance they can be drilled out or wait for waters to recede and walk out on foot. 

 

But the clock is ticking with heavy rains forecast to return this week as the monsoon season bites deeper. 

 

The priority is to get the team's strength up before they start the tricky journey out, officials said, reluctant to offer a concrete timeline. 

 

Relatives -- and much of Thailand -- exploded with relief and jubilation on getting the news the team were alive and safe.

 

"I'm so relieved, though I still don't have the chance to see him... I want to tell him I'm still here waiting," Kieng Khamleu, said of her son Pornchai Khamleung inside the cave.

 

Another parent said he could hardly believe the good news. 

 

"It's unimaginable. I've been waiting for 10 days, I never imagined this day would come," the father of one of the boys said.  

 

Diving teams prepared telephone lines to lay in the cave to set up phone calls to the boys, the governor said. 

 

The "Wild Boar" team became trapped on June 23 after heavy rains blocked the cave's main entrance. 

 

Rescuers found their bicycles, football boots and backpack near the cave's opening, and spotted handprints and footprint further in -- leading them to the spot they were eventually found. 

 

Tham Luang cave is one of Thailand's longest, winding 10 kilometres (six miles) and is also one of the toughest to navigate -- especially in the wet months. 

 

A sign outside the entrance warns visitors not to enter during the rainy season from July to November. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30349214

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-07-03

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, Gulfsailor said:

Such helmets only work as long as one's head  is facing upwards, otherwise the air escapes and water enters.

True. But if using these helmets with dry suit, the kids would not even get wet during the dive.

 

Furthermore tie the kids hands around the guide rope, so that they aren't able to rip off the air hoses, even if they would panic... and tell the kids, that this is the way do dive.

 

Well, that would be a bad idea, in case there is a problem with the suit or air supply.. 

[wealthychef]

8 minutes ago, tropo said:

Not only children. I had quite a bit of difficulty myself when first learning the sport. There were quite a few scary moments, and that was in a well lit safe environment. Some people adapt faster than others, but it took me many months of regular diving to START to be comfortable under water.

 

And it's not just beginners.  I've run out of air and did not panic in the slightest, but I did panic once with like 80 dives experience under some silly circumstances that I of course created myself.  But the point is that experienced divers can make mistakes too, and this is a tricky situation above simple cave diving, which in itself is an advanced certification level in PADI.   

[jossthaifarang]

2 hours ago, thenoilif said:

Even after the boys were reached and found alive, we still have people questioning the plan to get them out safely. 

I get it that it's a discussion forum but maybe read the full news reports before coming up with solutions that really don't make sense.

 

- There are videos showing how small and oddly shaped some of the passageways are. They are the type that you are squeezing your way through and any experienced cave or wreck diver knows that there are all sorts of risks of getting your gear snagged or dislodged of stuck in situations like this.

- They had to bring in smaller men to be the first to traverse some of the holes. 

- Divers had to remove equipment to get past certain points. 

- There is zero visibility and the water is actually silty. 

- The water will also be rushing against them as they exit. 

 

Even at full strength, the current may be too strong for the boys to handle, especially the younger ones. Also, claustrophobia induced panic is definitely a real danger given the tight spaces and no visibility. 

 

With all of this being said, we should have total faith in the expertise of the people onsite at this point.

 

 

 

You make a good point, and yes this is a discussion forum. Just want to make a few points here: 

 

     - They have gone into a cave to explore it in the first place and done so many times in the past, so I don't believe any one of them are claustrophobic.

 

     - They are between 10 and 16 years old, and are Thai so yes, they are small.

 

     - They don't need to see anything if they are being helped through the tight spaces by experienced divers.

 

     - They can use winches and ropes to help pull them against the currents.

 

Now, I am not trying to start an argument, so please don"t. Yes I do have full faith in the rescue team that has done this well to get to this point, but after reading the 4 month food supply idea. I lost a little bit of that faith mate..

[tropo]

14 minutes ago, jossthaifarang said:

This suit is airtight with an air supply, and it stops them taking off the mask under the water.

I'm talking about extreme panic. Apparently, it's a 3 hour round trip for the experienced cave divers, so they could have to be in such a suit (tied up as you mentioned) for over 2 hours at least. You'll have bodies to collect at the other end.

[pathologix]

According to timelines from BBC, Guardian, etc., those über-expert British cave-rescue divers were turned back by flood waters and poor conditions multiple times over the past week. As per dozens of posts in this forum, these guys are 'record holders', 'the best in the world', etc. With all their training and experience, even they couldn't make it through this stretch of tunnel. Now, some of you are wondering why kids – who can't even swim – are unable to accomplish the same feat with just a couple days of instruction?!?

 

Granted, rescuers will surely wait until conditions are better before making an escape attempt, and there will be more pumping and drilling (but also rain) first, and the route will be roped, etc. So it won't be as bad as when the British divers couldn't make it through. 

 

But this obviously ain't a cakewalk, and we laymen should really <deleted> and listen to the people who know what they are talking about. I would have thought 10 days of armchair internet commenters being wrong about pretty much everything (usually as a way to insult Thai people) would make them a little more hesitant to type. As impossible as it seems, the highly trained, multi-disciplinary team of experts in charge of this unprecedented submerged-cave rescue probably know more than you.

 

I am sure everybody involved in the rescue wants the kids out as quickly and safely as possible. Let's hope they find a faster solution. And if they can't, we – the ignorant onlookers – should maybe hold our judgement.

 

[jossthaifarang]

Just now, tropo said:

I'm talking about extreme panic. Apparently, it's a 3 hour round trip for the experienced cave divers, so they could have to be in such a suit (tied up as you mentioned) for over 2 hours at least. You'll have bodies to collect at the other end.

Only need to be in the suit while under water, until the next cavern. Now please, lets leave it there. I have work to do..

 

[maximillian]

5 hours ago, Geordieabroad said:

Fantastic news, can't say i was really optimistic all the time though.

One thing i don't understand about the plan now for getting them out, they are talking about 4 months to get them out. 10 years ago i did the PADI course here in Thailand, 4 days to qualify as an open water diver. I know it is a totally different situation, not open water, extremely limited channels to navigate and zero visibility, but 4 months?

I am sure and hopeful that when they start the rescue phase it will go a lot more quickly and smoothly than they are anticipating now, Well done to all the emergency services and everyone else involved, now get those kids back to their families

 

I'm with you. My guess, they will be out before the end of July, maybe much earlier.

 

[betelgeuse]

Having them learn to dive and swim out has got to be one of the last possible options. Hiking and crawling through a cave system is completely different from diving through it with gear. Night diving and cave diving is one of the most difficult dives even for seasoned divers, and with inexperienced kids - well that's a disaster waiting to happen. I guarantee they'd lose at least a handful if not more during the swim. Anyone who has actually dived would know the incredible risk of trying this rescue.

 

If drilling to the location is equally unfeasible, I'd wager that they will try to wait it out unless the waters continue to rise and the situation gets desperate.

 

But the more pressing issue is I don't see how these kids can handle the mental and emotional challenge of being isolated there for 4 months - unless medication is involved.

[Yme]

Coming to a TV screen near you. Cave Boys. The 24-hour a day live streaming reality show of a group of Thai boys living in a cave in northern Thailand. Sponsor a boy, sponsor large screen TVs at the entrance to the cave. Sponsor a Seal  ?  Just hope it doesn't all go Lord of the Flies or Zombie Nation ?

[CGW]

Just now, Yme said:

Coming to a TV screen near you. Cave Boys. The 24-hour a day live streaming reality show of a group of Thai boys living in a cave in northern Thailand. Sponsor a boy, sponsor large screen TVs at the entrance to the cave. Sponsor a Seal  ?  Just hope it doesn't all go Lord of the Flies or Zombie Nation ?

That will be after "the cave diet" guaranteed to shed those unwanted pounds & "cave meditation sessions" that will bring enlightenment & prove ~50% of TVF members to be wrong! ?

[johnson36]

7 minutes ago, jossthaifarang said:

Only need to be in the suit while under water, until the next cavern. Now please, lets leave it there. I have work to do..

 

BUT. how long is this difficult under water section that is even difficult for experts ?

[RT555]

Should charge the coach for entering cave when the sign said closed. 

[thenoilif]

4 minutes ago, jossthaifarang said:

You make a good point, and yes this is a discussion forum. Just want to make a few points here: 

 

     - They have gone into a cave to explore it in the first place and done so many times in the past, so I don't believe any one of them are claustrophobic.

 

     - They are between 10 and 16 years old, and are Thai so yes, they are small.

 

     - They don't need to see anything if they are being helped through the tight spaces by experienced divers.

 

     - They can use winches and ropes to help pull them against the currents.

 

Now, I am not trying to start an argument, so please don"t. Yes I do have full faith in the rescue team that has done this well to get to this point, but after reading the 4 month food supply idea. I lost a little bit of that faith mate..

Walking or crawling through a cave with lights is completely different than putting a breathing mask on and swimming and squeezing through tight spaces that you cannot see against a rushing current. A totally different sensory experience. They cannot afford a single freak out once they get to a certain point in the cave. 

 

If they do end extracting while the cave is still flooded I imagine that they will bind their limbs. Too risky to let them freely use them in the event they panic and try to rip off masks or other diving apparatus. 

[poohy]

Don t know about trapped kids but i would "pooh my pants and require being put out) at the thought of "scubbering" through tiny tunnels.

 

 

ohh just the thought has brought on a potty moment

[Kadilo]

2 minutes ago, RT555 said:

Should charge the coach for entering cave when the sign said closed. 

Did it say closed?

[betelgeuse]

8 minutes ago, jossthaifarang said:

Only need to be in the suit while under water, until the next cavern. Now please, lets leave it there. I have work to do..

 

This is nonsense. Again, I know we're all just casually discussing here, but anyone who has actually dove knows this is nonsense.

[africasiaeuro]

It is going to take some efforts by the Thai Navy seals I guess because of the language barrier, they are going to be trained in using scuba gear.

One at the time will be guided to safety with 2 divers near him.

If the distance was 500 m underwater it will take 20 - 30 min to reach a dry spot - not a joke for someone who has not been diving previously.

Anyway you look at it, these poor chaps are still going to get their feet wet.

Will pray all will come to an end soon.

 

 

 

 

[mrfill]

2 hours ago, Toshiba66 said:

Whats happened is a fact. No point discussing it now imo.

 

I am keen to learn whats ahead of them to get out. They are 3 klms in, right? How many sections are totally submerged? How many are walkable, wadeable? Does anyone have this info to give a clear understanding of whats in the path out for them all?

 

Hang on - I'll just pop in and have a look for you...

[thenoilif]

2 minutes ago, Kadilo said:

Did it say closed?

No it said something to the effect of starting in July and through to ______ there is risk of flooding.

[Kadilo]

1 minute ago, africasiaeuro said:

It is going to take some efforts by the Thai Navy seals I guess because of the language barrier, they are going to be trained in using scuba gear.

 

 

 

 

What language barrier?

[phetpeter]

A flexible full body suit with flexible air hose attachment, these are small slim boys, they could also be sedated air tubes inserted and a chain of divers passing the parcels! or fexile tunnels placed that the kids could crawl through! set up right the kids could all be out in hours once the equipment is set up. perhaps time to get some 25-30 ins blue plastic pipe delivered!

[Kadilo]

2 minutes ago, thenoilif said:

No it said something to the effect of starting in July and through to ______ there is risk of flooding.

Thought as much. The charging thing is fake news. I wouldn’t be surprised once the dust settles and all the information comes out, this lad will be a national hero. 

He was guilty of an error of judgement which will be far outweighed by his other attributes. 

[thenoilif]

6 minutes ago, phetpeter said:

A flexible full body suit with flexible air hose attachment, these are small slim boys, they could also be sedated air tubes inserted and a chain of divers passing the parcels! or fexile tunnels placed that the kids could crawl through! set up right the kids could all be out in hours once the equipment is set up.

2.5 km of fun tube pulled through a labyrinth of sharp pointy rock Full of rushing water. 

 

Genius. I think we have a winner folks.

[OzMan]

4 months to get out! Reading the past 8 hours of posts has been bad enough. 4 months of posts on this would be BORING.

[Jeremy50]

4 months. Their education will really suffer. On the other hand, with a good supply of paper and pencils, plenty of time to write out 'I will not be a naughty boy again'  twenty thousand times.

[phetpeter]

1 minute ago, thenoilif said:

2.5 km of fun tube pulled through a cave of varying size with sharp rocks jutting out everywhere. 

 

No not all the cave has water in it! Plus they have jack hammers etc. How is that so different to drilling a shaft? They have enough of people and it can be done.  Not all the areas are small just full of water the pipes would allow for a fast transition without the concerns of outcrops and uneven footings. 

[Artisi]

2 minutes ago, OzMan said:

4 months to get out! Reading the past 8 hours of posts has been bad enough. 4 months of posts on this would be BORING.

Easy solution ?

[phetpeter]

7 minutes ago, Jeremy50 said:

Their education will really suffer.

Send a couple of backpackers down, and a crabby Thai  teacher, Singing songs, clapping hands , they will certainly learn to scuba dive very quickly. Hmm! on second thoughts they will get sagged on the outcrops with their braided hair, backpacks and fat behinds they wont be able to squeeze through

[Sheryl]

Did it say closed?

No. Signage specifically said do not enter July - August. At least one cave guidebook for Thailand says it can be explored through June.

 

I think we can assume, from this and that the team were very familiar with the cave, that this year flooding came earlier than is usual.

 

Obviously they need to expand the closure dates. Start from say mid May to be on the safe side..

 

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