Heavy rains continue to impede search for lost football team

[webfact]

Heavy rains continue to impede search for lost football team

 

 

 

CHIANG RAI, 28th June 2018 (NNT) – Heavy rains through the night in Mae Sai district of Chiang Rai have kept Royal Thai Navy SEALS from progressing further into Luang cave in search of the 13 members of a local youth football team who have been lost for close to a week now. 

The 12 youngsters and their coach entered the cave on June 23. Head of Tham Luang-Khun Nam Nang Non Park Damrong Hanpakdeeniyom was later notified that the group had not emerged and traveled to the cave to find their bicycles still parked outside. 

Latest reports have indicated heavy rains, which have added water to the cave at a rate of 40 centimeters every 20 minutes, have forced SEALS carrying out a search for the team to withdraw from the cave for the time being. 

A five hour storm forced rescue workers both in and outside the cave to seek higher ground and to halt work. Power being fed into the cave to assist in operations has also been temporarily suspended in the interests of safety. 

Minister of the Interior Gen Anupong Paojinda has indicated that foreign experts brought in to aid in the situation have agreed with Thai rescuers that drilling into the cave may provide another access point and increase the chances of finding the team. Equipment from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is to be used in the effort. 

Army officers are also surveying channels above the cave which may provide further entry points. Three have so far been checked with a fourth yet to be located. Satellite imagery is being employed to aid in the process. 

Rescuers say they have only been able to proceed a maximum three kilometers into the cave over the past three days but believe that the missing football team is about five kilometers deep into the cave. They are still confident the 13 lives are safe and can be saved.

 

-- nnt 2018-06-28

[idman]

Yes, amazing how rising water from heavy rains would impact the search operation.  Pretty obvious to anyone with half a brain I would imagine.

[sweatalot]

58 minutes ago, idman said:

Yes, amazing how rising water from heavy rains would impact the search operation.  Pretty obvious to anyone with half a brain I would imagine.

What do you want to say?

 

where does it say the rescuers are not aware that rising water from heavy rains would impact the search operation?

 

And what do you suggest to do ? Just cancel  the rescue ?

(shaking head)

Edited June 28, 2018 by sweatalot

[webfact]

Cave search party grows after another night of rain

By The Nation

 

 

The search for 12 young footballers and their assistant coach trapped in a Chiang Rai cave resumed on Thursday following a night of heavy rainfall that only made conditions worse.
 

Police sniffer dogs joined the latest shift of 45 rescue workers and Border Patrol police looking for accessways to the cave from the mountaintop above.

 

Three “breathing holes” and two “manholes” found atop the cave earlier were too narrow to allow access, a source on the rescue team said. The plan is to lower a heat-detection device that would identify likely human presence, the source said.

 

National police deputy chief Pol General Weerachai Songmetta said Thursday’s hunt would focus on the area leading towards Doi Pha Mee, which sits above the rightward channel of the cave’s main three-way intersection.

 

It’s suspected there are several chambers ranging in height from 10-60 metres where the lost party is waiting for help, and that passages might rise from these chambers to the top of the mountain.

 

Another team would search atop the cave around Khao Nang Non to the northeast, Weerachai said.

 

He said the police had boosted the number of officers and sniffer dogs to 650 on Thursday.

 

Naval Special Warfare Command chief Apakorn Yukongkaew, who led Seals divers in the search inside the cave, said floodwaters had risen to the cave entrance, posing a major obstacle.

 

Three search-and-rescue experts flew in from Britain on Thursday to help, he said, while grimly dismissing a rumour circulating the day before that the missing group had already been found.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30348828

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-06-28

[Zack61]

Hang in there lads. 

[fullcave]

The football coach can read, right? Because, the warning sign just outside the cave reads clearly that the the cave is closed this time of year due to danger of flash floods.

[Briggsy]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Minister of the Interior Gen Anupong Paojinda.......

... continues the trusted Thai senior figure tactic of speaking on behalf of others to ensure the message doesn't detract from their own importance.

 

 

[Briggsy]

2 minutes ago, fullcave said:

The football coach can read, right? Because, the warning sign just outside the cave reads clearly that the the cave is closed this time of year due to danger of flash floods.

I believe the sign was erected as a result of events. Gate Horse bolted....

[kevc]

I wonder if all these sarcy remarks would be here if this was in the UK or USA, christ its twelve kids, keep the sarcasm to your selves and just think about their parents and them hopefully huddled up cold and wet in a black hole and still alive.

Sent from my SM-P901 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[tandor]

6 hours ago, idman said:

Yes, amazing how rising water from heavy rains would impact the search operation.  Pretty obvious to anyone with half a brain I would imagine.

..pretty amazing too how Park Officials allowed them to even go anywhere this cave given the heavy rains in the area ...i can see a 500b fine coming up..Hope they're all found safe.

[Jingthing]

Of course the unfortunate trapped ones are facing multiple life threatening hazards. But I am wondering what sort of wildlife would one expect to find in there? Crickets were mentioned. How about snakes and bats? 

Edited June 28, 2018 by Jingthing

[steve73]

Wildlife would be unlikely to go much more than a few hundred metres into a cave, although if there are "breathing holes" from above as reported, then they could gain access that way.

First priority IMO, would be to use or enlarge those breathing holes to allow a communication system (i.e. wired loudspeaker/microphone) to be dropped to try to establish contact.  If the trapped boys know that help is on its way it would help their emotional wellbeing, even if an actual rescue takes many more days.

 

[Russell17au]

7 minutes ago, steve73 said:

Wildlife would be unlikely to go much more than a few hundred metres into a cave, although if there are "breathing holes" from above as reported, then they could gain access that way.

First priority IMO, would be to use or enlarge those breathing holes to allow a communication system (i.e. wired loudspeaker/microphone) to be dropped to try to establish contact.  If the trapped boys know that help is on its way it would help their emotional wellbeing, even if an actual rescue takes many more days.

 

even though the holes may not be big enough for a man to get through they could send a light on a cable and like you say Steve a communication system and then even small parcels of food and good drinking water

[Ks45672]

6 hours ago, sweatalot said:

What do you want to say?

 

where does it say the rescuers are not aware that rising water from heavy rains would impact the search operation?

 

And what do you suggest to do ? Just cancel  the rescue ?

(shaking head)

After nearly a week, rescue is probably the wrong word..... 

The experts probably know better than us the probability of risking more lives is too dangerous 

[steve73]

4 minutes ago, Russell17au said:

even though the holes may not be big enough for a man to get through they could send a light on a cable and like you say Steve a communication system and then even small parcels of food and good drinking water

It's unlikely that it's a straight drop though, and form what I can make out of the terrain it could be a long way down.. A small drill (like a water bore-hole) could probably be set up relatively easily - but the big problem would be hitting the target, since they won't really know where the chambers are related to the surface.  Worth a try though.

I'm sure the UK dive team should be able to dive through to the far reaches - even if it take them a few days... again just to establish contact in the first instance.

 

(I posted a link to a 2010 expedition where they'd penetrated 8.8km of diving on one of the other threads, although that looked as if it was much clearer water than what they have here.)

[Russell17au]

3 minutes ago, steve73 said:

It's unlikely that it's a straight drop though, and form what I can make out of the terrain it could be a long way down.. A small drill (like a water bore-hole) could probably be set up relatively easily - but the big problem would be hitting the target, since they won't really know where the chambers are related to the surface.  Worth a try though.

I'm sure the UK dive team should be able to dive through to the far reaches - even if it take them a few days... again just to establish contact in the first instance.

 

(I posted a link to a 2010 expedition where they'd penetrated 8.8km of diving on one of the other threads, although that looked as if it was much clearer water than what they have here.)

One of the rescues that we had to do was a mine rescue and we used a Toyota Landcruiser that had the drilling rig fitted on it that was used for bore water drilling but I think the problem here is the terrain and whether they can get a vehicle like that in there

[Jingthing]

Saw a BBC report today that appeared to be a bad sign. The BBC reporter tried to get a comment from some British rescuers that were leaving the cave. They refused to comment. Seemed odd to me.

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[Briggsy]

2 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Saw a BBC report today that appeared to be a bad sign. The BBC reporter tried to get a comment from some British rescuers that were leaving the cave. They refused to comment. Seemed odd to me.

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

They probably told the Thais, "OK we need to do X, Y and Z. Let's crack on." The Thai senior police/military probably then countermanded them and came up with a wacky plan they had just thought up. If my theory is true, the Brits were too diplomatic to criticise their hosts publicly.

[Rimmer]

A troll comment and replies have been removed

[fullcave]

On 6/28/2018 at 5:06 PM, Briggsy said:

I believe the sign was erected as a result of events. Gate Horse bolted....

No, that's not correct. The large wooden sign wss in place at the entrance. Can't miss it.