rooster59 Posted June 30, 2018 Share Posted June 30, 2018 Chiang Rai: Search teams ‘making headway’ By THE SUNDAY NATION Medical and rescue personnel take part in a drill at the Tham Luang cave in Chiang Rai province yesterday to rehearse rushing the missing football team members to hospital as soon as they are found. SUPPORT TEAMS outside the Tham Luang cave in Chiang Rai were yesterday waiting eagerly for a signal from the team searching for 12 teen footballers and their assistant coach who have been trapped inside the flooded cave since June 23. Narongsak Osoththanakorn, governor of the northern province, said that the search team was highly hopeful yesterday after all the positive developments in the large-scale rescue operation. The positive developments yesterday included success in being able to pump a large amount of water out of the cave, enabling the team of Navy SEAL (Sea, Air and Land Teams) divers to move closer to the so-called “Pattaya Beach” section where the missing are believed to be waiting for rescue, the governor said. “Tonight [last night] everybody will be working all the time,” Narongsak Osoththanakorn, who is in charge of the rescue operation, said in his press conference. He said other units were in full readiness to bring the missing footballers out of the cave. They are just waiting for a signal from the search team. The SEAL divers had nearly reached a T-junction in the depths of the cave just two or three kilometres from where the boys are believed to be, the governor said. Water levels inside the complex labyrinth of tunnels finally dropped thanks to dozens of pumps set up to drain the pools, even as heavy rain continued to pound the area near the Myanmar and Laos borders. “The situation is better today than yesterday and the day before. The water level has receded considerably and we are pumping out water in all the chambers,” he told reporters. Medical teams staged drills yesterday morning to prepare for possible rescue, amid worries about how the boys might be pulled out of the cave if and when they are found. Ambulances and helicopters were on standby for the drills at the bustling rescue site. The Chiang Rai governor said the evacuation drill found several obstacles that needed to be tackled when the actual evacuation takes place. He said one issue was the lack of cooperation of people who would not move their vehicles for the road to be cleared. He said the order of ambulances and the evacuation of the rescued persons in various steps also needed to be improved. Video footage of all the steps were taken to work on how the process could be improved. He said if the operation saw any further progress, the governor would hold another press conference. He also urged onlookers to refrain from Facebook Live coverage of the scene, as they could obstruct the work of the authorities. The governor added that there are now more than 10 diving robots and diving drones at the site but they could not be operated because the cave is dark and the water too murky for the controllers to see anything. The governor also called on officials from various teams to refrain from talking to the media about the operations of other teams. He said if any official has any recommendation, he or she should talk to other teams directly or else the comments could be seen as criticism of other teams. In the afternoon, the water level in the cave subsided a lot and 16 Navy SEAL divers surveyed Chamber 3. At 1pm, the divers were in the process of extending a rope and a phone line to the three-way intersection that straddles Pattaya Beach and the right passage of the cave. The Navy’s SEALs plan to set up a forward command at the cave’s T-junction before sending divers to Pattaya Beach. Divers from the Navy SEALs reached the third chamber from Tham Luang cave’s entrance before noon yesterday after rains stopped and water was drained from the cave up to a level. The Thai Navy SEAL Facebook page reported the progress of the operation, in which divers and Army troops helped move water pumps into the cave to drain water in the morning. The water drained very quickly, the page reported. When the water was drained up to a level, the SEAL divers managed to enter the third chamber. They carried oxygen tanks with them to set up the forward command. Rains over the cave have stopped since 4am and officials stepped up efforts to drain water from the cave’s entrance. Five helicopters airlifted a team of Border Patrol policemen yesterday morning to resume search of a shaft over the cave. The team planned to climb down the 60-metre deep shaft from Pha Mee Mountain to try to reach three chambers on the side of the cave where the missing youngsters may have been trapped, deputy police commissioner-general Pol General Veerachai Songmetta said. On Friday, the police had reached the bottom of the shaft but had not entered an opening believed to be connected to the chambers, said Veerachai, who heads the team. The Border Patrol policemen are now equipped with wireless communication tools that would feed their pictures back live to the top of the mountain, where Veerachai was based, for analysis. Meanwhile, a senior rescue official complained about the wastage of time caused by the lack of adequate coordination between several teams exploring shafts over the Tham Lung cave. Lerpong Suansang, head of a search team of the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department, said there were several teams searching for shafts that could offer a passage to chambers in the cave where it is believed a 13-member football team could have been trapped. He said several shafts had been searched and that they only led to a dead-end. Due to lack of coordination, other teams also ended up searching the same shafts, assuming them to be new discoveries. Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30349022 -- © Copyright The Nation 2018-07-01 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
He said other units were in full readiness to bring the missing footballers out of the cave. They are just waiting for a signal from the search team. The SEAL divers had nearly reached a T-junction in the depths of the cave just two or three kilometres from where the boys are believed to be, the governor said. Water levels inside the complex labyrinth of tunnels finally dropped thanks to dozens of pumps set up to drain the pools, even as heavy rain continued to pound the area near the Myanmar and Laos borders. “The situation is better today than yesterday and the day before. The water level has receded considerably and we are pumping out water in all the chambers,” he told reporters. Medical teams staged drills yesterday morning to prepare for possible rescue, amid worries about how the boys might be pulled out of the cave if and when they are found. Ambulances and helicopters were on standby for the drills at the bustling rescue site. The Chiang Rai governor said the evacuation drill found several obstacles that needed to be tackled when the actual evacuation takes place. He said one issue was the lack of cooperation of people who would not move their vehicles for the road to be cleared. He said the order of ambulances and the evacuation of the rescued persons in various steps also needed to be improved. Video footage of all the steps were taken to work on how the process could be improved. He said if the operation saw any further progress, the governor would hold another press conference. He also urged onlookers to refrain from Facebook Live coverage of the scene, as they could obstruct the work of the authorities. The governor added that there are now more than 10 diving robots and diving drones at the site but they could not be operated because the cave is dark and the water too murky for the controllers to see anything. The governor also called on officials from various teams to refrain from talking to the media about the operations of other teams. He said if any official has any recommendation, he or she should talk to other teams directly or else the comments could be seen as criticism of other teams. In the afternoon, the water level in the cave subsided a lot and 16 Navy SEAL divers surveyed Chamber 3. At 1pm, the divers were in the process of extending a rope and a phone line to the three-way intersection that straddles Pattaya Beach and the right passage of the cave. The Navy’s SEALs plan to set up a forward command at the cave’s T-junction before sending divers to Pattaya Beach. Divers from the Navy SEALs reached the third chamber from Tham Luang cave’s entrance before noon yesterday after rains stopped and water was drained from the cave up to a level. The Thai Navy SEAL Facebook page reported the progress of the operation, in which divers and Army troops helped move water pumps into the cave to drain water in the morning. The water drained very quickly, the page reported. When the water was drained up to a level, the SEAL divers managed to enter the third chamber. They carried oxygen tanks with them to set up the forward command. Rains over the cave have stopped since 4am and officials stepped up efforts to drain water from the cave’s entrance. Five helicopters airlifted a team of Border Patrol policemen yesterday morning to resume search of a shaft over the cave. The team planned to climb down the 60-metre deep shaft from Pha Mee Mountain to try to reach three chambers on the side of the cave where the missing youngsters may have been trapped, deputy police commissioner-general Pol General Veerachai Songmetta said. On Friday, the police had reached the bottom of the shaft but had not entered an opening believed to be connected to the chambers, said Veerachai, who heads the team. The Border Patrol policemen are now equipped with wireless communication tools that would feed their pictures back live to the top of the mountain, where Veerachai was based, for analysis. Meanwhile, a senior rescue official complained about the wastage of time caused by the lack of adequate coordination between several teams exploring shafts over the Tham Lung cave. Lerpong Suansang, head of a search team of the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department, said there were several teams searching for shafts that could offer a passage to chambers in the cave where it is believed a 13-member football team could have been trapped. He said several shafts had been searched and that they only led to a dead-end. Due to lack of coordination, other teams also ended up searching the same shafts, assuming them to be new discoveries. Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30349022 -- © Copyright The Nation 2018-07-01
rooster59 Posted June 30, 2018 Author Share Posted June 30, 2018 Volunteers bring selfless spirit to the rescue mission By PRATCH RUJIVANAROM THE SUNDAY NATION CHIANG RAI Experts discuss the topography of the Tham Luang cave yesterday as part of the large-scale mission to save the 13 missing footballers. Optimistic volunteers said there was always hope in even the most dire situation, even as the mission to rescue 12 youths and their football coach trapped in a flooded cave reached its seventh day yesterday. The news of the operation to find the missing footballers in the Tham Luang cave has gone viral not only in Thailand, but also around the world. Many people have been travelling from their homes to the rescue site in Chiang Rai’s Mae Sai district. In addition to the official agencies who are taking part in one of the biggest coordinated rescue operations in Thailand’s history, many individuals from Thailand and beyond are also travelling to the site to lend a helping hand, despite the difficulties and inhospitable environment. Jordan Kennedy, a volunteer paramedic from New York, is one among the Good Samaritans who have come here. “I have work experience as an ambulance paramedic. I used to be a medical volunteer at refugee camps on the Thailand-Myanmar border, so I have come here because I think I can contribute my expertise in administering emergency medicine to help the rescue team,” Kennedy said. Although it has been seven days since all 13 members of a local football team got trapped in the flooded cave, he said he believed there was still hope for the stranded footballers and they could be rescued. “Experience as a paramedic has taught me that even in the darkest situation, we cannot lose hope or else we cannot do our work properly,” he said. Nathee Ruengsa-ad, a volunteer from Bangkok, who is involved in adventure tourism, said there are three major obstacles facing the rescue team inside the cave: darkness, water and air. “The cave can be so dark that we cannot even see our own hands, while the high water level and thin air could also be a threat to those involved in the rescue mission,” he said. However, Nathee said he understood why these dedicated officers were risking their lives to save people they have never even met before. “Even I felt the urgent urge to do something to get the children out after hearing this news. I cannot sleep even a minute if I do not come up here to provide help in any way I can,” he said. Jean Christian Manga Mbolo, a footballer from Cameroon who has been playing in the Thai League, also joined in to help as a volunteer. “I do not have any specific skill that can be helpful for the effort to rescue these boys, but I have come anyway to offer my help. I’m ready to do any work, even labour,” Mbolo said. “I always want to help people in distress. I cannot bear to do nothing while the other people are suffering, so I wish I can help in some way to bring these children out of the cave safely.” Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30349020 -- © Copyright The Nation 2018-07-01 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rooster59 Posted June 30, 2018 Author Share Posted June 30, 2018 Southern bird nest collectors join search operation The ordeal facing the 12 young footballers and their coach trapped in Tham Luang cave in Chiang Rai seems to have spurred a spirit of volunteerism across the country. Eight bird nest collectors from Ko Libong in Trang’s Kantang district have arrived in Chiang Rai Saturday afternoon to volunteer to join the search operations. Mr. Alifen Thetnam, village headman of Village 7 in Tambon Ko Libong, told the media after arriving at the cave that their experience in scaling caves to collect bird nests in the southern province for the past 30 years could be useful for the rescue operation. The group boarded a flight in Hat Yai and arrived at Chiang Rai airport before taking a car ride to Tham Luang cave in Mae Sai district so they could start work immediately. Full story: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/southern-bird-nest-collectors-join-search-operation/ -- © Copyright Thai PBS 2018-07-01 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Thailand Posted June 30, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted June 30, 2018 If badly parked uvehicles that should not be there are hindering any operation at all then bring in the many tanks recently purchased and push, or blow them out of the way. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Basil B Posted June 30, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted June 30, 2018 15 minutes ago, rooster59 said: Meanwhile, a senior rescue official complained about the wastage of time caused by the lack of adequate coordination between several teams exploring shafts over the Tham Lung cave. Yes, too many headless chickens... Thailand needs a well drilled rescue command and control, one person in overall control. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post greenchair Posted June 30, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted June 30, 2018 Everyday I hope today will be the day. Come on guys. Let today be the day. Bring the team home !!!! 13 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Topdoc Posted June 30, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted June 30, 2018 Vern Unsworth said that once you turn right at the fork there is a 750 meter crawl which then opens up into very large chamber. Could this be the reason why they left their shoes and bags behind? It's easier to crawl without bags etc. Do any of the parents know which route the boys took on an earlier exploration into the cave? They may have gone a different way this time. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yrag Posted July 1, 2018 Share Posted July 1, 2018 Today is the day located ....Sunday at latest.....God Speed 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Jeremy50 Posted July 1, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted July 1, 2018 Birds nest 'collectors' have decided to join the foray. That's good news, at least the birds will get some respite from those damn thieves. 2 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post kannot Posted July 1, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted July 1, 2018 2 hours ago, rooster59 said: Many people have been travelling from their homes to the rescue site in Chiang Rai’s Mae Sai district. <deleted>!!! WHY?? 2 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Cadbury Posted July 1, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted July 1, 2018 1 hour ago, Basil B said: Yes, too many headless chickens... Thailand needs a well drilled rescue command and control, one person in overall control. I thought from the PM's performance the other day he had already nominated himself as the man in charge. He is the only man in Thailand with the superhuman qualities needed to do the job. Seriously, I hope for the sake of the sake of the rescue operations personnel the PM and his cronies have removed themselves as far away as possible from area. That performance of his was absolutely sickening. 2 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rooster59 Posted July 1, 2018 Author Share Posted July 1, 2018 As Thai search enters 7th day, divers cling to hope of finding lost boys By Panu Wongcha-um Soldiers and rescue workers are seen during a drill, near the Tham Luang cave complex, as an ongoing search for members of an under-16 soccer team and their coach continues, in the northern province of Chiang Rai, Thailand, June 30, 2018. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun CHIANG RAI, Thailand (Reuters) - Having failed to find any sign of 12 boys and their soccer coach during a week-long search of flooded cave complex in northern Thailand, rescuers held out hope on Saturday that the group could have found safety on a rocky mound in one of the chambers. Divers from the Thai navy's elite SEAL unit were groping their way through the murky waters filling passages of the 10-kilometre (6-mile) underground maze of the Tham Luang cave, as the rescue effort turned increasingly desperate. International rescue teams, including 30 U.S. military personnel, have joined the search for the junior soccer team, which went missing last Saturday, but the rescuers have been hampered by heavy rain. Divers were still some way from the potential safety spot, called "Pattaya Beach" after one of Thailand's best known tourist destinations. "The distance we've got still got to go is probably two to three kilometres," Narongsak Osottanakorn, governor of Chiang Rai province, told reporters. Meantime, a police search party has entered the cave from the surface, having drilled a 50-metre long shaft from the mountainside. Survival boxes, filled with food, water and torches, had been dropped down the shaft on Friday, but by Saturday it was wide enough for rescuers to be lowered into the cave. Deputy Police Chief Wirachai Songmetta said that search party has, as yet, been unable to reach the underground chamber that could be the best hope of survival for the boys. Aside from bicycles and soccer boots left near the cave's entrance, and some handprints seen on the walls, the searchers have found no trace of the boys, aged between 11 and 16, or their 25-year-old assistant coach. Still, rescuers believe the boys have a chance of surviving, and could have access to fresh water inside the cave, and medical teams were practicing drills to treat survivors, and airlift them from a make-shift helipad. Relatives kept a vigil, with prayers led by a Buddhist monk, near the mouth of the cave. "I am still hopeful and hope the children will come out safely," Kampon Paree, 39, an uncle of three of the missing boys, told Reuters. -- © Copyright Reuters 2018-07-01 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiwiKiwi Posted July 1, 2018 Share Posted July 1, 2018 Evidently it's now thought possible that the 'experts' have been heading the wrong way, and Vern might have been right to wander off in the opposite direction. Why are they suspected to be in 'Pattaya Beach' anyway? I sense a serious loss of face approaching. Surely if they knew they were travelling several kilometers, they would have left breadcrumbs, and that would have been easy enough to do - indeed, could not the shoes and bags have been just that?, but there's been no mention of breadcrumbs in the news reports. 1 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post KiwiKiwi Posted July 1, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted July 1, 2018 2 hours ago, Basil B said: Yes, too many headless chickens... Thailand needs a well drilled rescue command and control, one person in overall control. This is a lesson Thailand is unlikely to be able to learn. Chaos is ubiquitous here, it's part of a larger strategy, excellence is to be avoided at all costs. 6 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Jonathan Fairfield Posted July 1, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted July 1, 2018 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Rimmer Posted July 1, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted July 1, 2018 A personal attack has been removed, you need to stop this bickering now. 6 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sammieuk1 Posted July 1, 2018 Share Posted July 1, 2018 Extricating anyone from underground is fraught with danger and very difficult anywhere coordination takes time conditions have improved and hopefully a positive outcome will prevail. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post impulse Posted July 1, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted July 1, 2018 (edited) 27 minutes ago, sammieuk1 said: Extricating anyone from underground is fraught with danger and very difficult anywhere coordination takes time conditions have improved and hopefully a positive outcome will prevail. So true. Plus, you can have 2 (or more) groups working at cross purposes, and kill the very people they're trying to save. One good example is trapped air pockets. It's quite possible to drill into an air pocket that's keeping the boys alive, and let the air escape through the drilled hole, to be displaced by water. It's happened before in mine rescues... Edited July 1, 2018 by impulse 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubba Posted July 1, 2018 Share Posted July 1, 2018 (edited) Just saw this in The Guardian: But on Saturday US navy Seals reached a T-junction in the depths of the cave just two or three kilometres (one to two miles) from where the boys are believed to be, said the Chiang Rai governor, Narongsak Osottanakorn. I guess that's progress, but 2 - 3 kms might take a while. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/01/divers-reach-further-into-thai-cave-where-boys-are-trapped Edited July 1, 2018 by bubba 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post jaiyen Posted July 1, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted July 1, 2018 Its a pathetic sight to see them practicing how to carry a stretcher into a helicopter. Just proves how useless and unprepared some of them are. 3 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post duanebigsby Posted July 1, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted July 1, 2018 3 hours ago, kannot said: <deleted>!!! WHY?? I agree. They should stay out of the way! A Facebook post showed a bunch of Chiang Rai farang bikers meeting at a local coffee shop to go on a "mission" to the cave. What for? 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bofhman Posted July 1, 2018 Share Posted July 1, 2018 The longer this goes on the more I wonder if they are actually in the caves. Divers, drones submersibles, multi-national teams of navy seals. Just to access the caves. Would the kids have even been able to get that far without these equipments, breathers, oxygen tanks without leaving a trace? Perhaps kidnapped or a prank gone very wrong? I hope they are safe and sound somewhere for better or for worse. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post delphioracle Posted July 1, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted July 1, 2018 (edited) Quote jaiyen #21 Its a pathetic sight to see them practicing how to carry a stretcher into a helicopter. Just proves how useless and unprepared some of them are. Ever been in the military, police fire brigade etc? Constant drilling is carried out to ensure all involved can and do work as a team. Drilling may well look strange to the unschooled onlooker but it's done for a purpose. Why not go and offer your expertise on the operation? Your profound knowledge I am sure will or would be of benefit those you decry. Practice makes perfect. Edited July 1, 2018 by delphioracle 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Vacuum Posted July 1, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted July 1, 2018 15 minutes ago, bofhman said: Perhaps kidnapped Surely you jest. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post josephbloggs Posted July 1, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted July 1, 2018 23 minutes ago, jaiyen said: Its a pathetic sight to see them practicing how to carry a stretcher into a helicopter. Just proves how useless and unprepared some of them are. Yeah, far better for the helicopter pilots, ambulance teams and medics just to sit around doing nothing until the children come out. No point doing drills. That makes a lot of sense. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hobobo Posted July 1, 2018 Share Posted July 1, 2018 4 hours ago, Jeremy50 said: Birds nest 'collectors' have decided to join the foray. That's good news, at least the birds will get some respite from those damn thieves. Exactly! And the footballer from Cameroon, with no particular skills, could be the second assistant coach to the boys when they come out. Still not sure what to do with the American ambulance paramedic - as Thais proved yesterday that they can administer first aid and transport the boys to hospital, perhaps the Yank should be sent packing? 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UglyBug Posted July 1, 2018 Share Posted July 1, 2018 22 minutes ago, jaiyen said: Its a pathetic sight to see them practicing how to carry a stretcher into a helicopter. Just proves how useless and unprepared some of them are. I really think while this Very Complicated and Dangerous rescue Operation is still underway it does not help the Official and Volunteer rescue forces any good to read such Drivel ? HOPE AND PRAY ! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sletraveler Posted July 1, 2018 Share Posted July 1, 2018 4 hours ago, kannot said: <deleted>!!! WHY?? So sad. How will you ever get to 12000 enlightened posts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post scorecard Posted July 1, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted July 1, 2018 1 hour ago, sammieuk1 said: Extricating anyone from underground is fraught with danger and very difficult anywhere coordination takes time conditions have improved and hopefully a positive outcome will prevail. Agree, my own time in a war zone made me very aware that careful coordination etc., is critical to achieving the goal and critical for the safety of all concerned. On this point, I haven't seen, for this entire sad event, any mention whatever of the national police chief or the minister responsible for the police being in attendance or making any comment or directives, no matter where they are located right now. Correct me if that's not accurate. Hoping for some good news very soon. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post josephbloggs Posted July 1, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted July 1, 2018 19 minutes ago, delphioracle said: Ever been in the military, police fire brigade etc? Constant drilling is carried out to ensure all involved can and do work as a team. Drilling may well look strange to the unschooled onlooker but it's done for a purpose. Why not go and offer your expertise on the operation? Your profound knowledge I am sure will or would be of benefit those you decry. Practice makes perfect. No doubt if he was in farang land he would be praising them for the drills and preparation, but here it is incompetent Thais. Some people truly do have a warped view on things here. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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