Thai boys await resumption of rescue mission after first four freed from cave

[webfact]

Thai boys await resumption of rescue mission after first four freed from cave

By Patpicha Tanakasempipat and Panu Wongcha-um

 

Schoolmates pray next to a banner showing 12 missing schoolboys, who were trapped inside a flooded cave, at Mae Sai Prasitsart school, in the northern province of Chiang Rai, Thailand, July 9, 2018. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

 

CHIANG RAI, Thailand (Reuters) - Eight boys and their soccer coach who remain trapped in a flooded cave in northern Thailand waited for a rescue operation to resume on Monday, a day after the first four were brought out safely and whisked away to hospital.

 

The daring and dangerous bid to rescue the boys - aged between 11 and 16 - was suspended by the mission chief late on Sunday to replenish oxygen supplies and make new preparations, which he said would take at least 10 hours.

 

Divers had to hold the boys close to their bodies to bring them out and each had to wear an oxygen mask to enable normal breathing, authorities said.

 

Bursts of heavy rain soaked the Tham Luang Cave area in Thailand's northern Chiang Rai province overnight, increasing the risks in what has been called a "war with water and time" to save the boys.

 

The story of the "Wild Boars" soccer team, who first ventured into the caves more than two weeks ago before flood waters trapped them inside, has gripped Thai and international media.

 

"Football's Coming Home. First Wild Boars Out," a headline on one online Thai paper said on Monday, referring to a song chanted by English soccer fans at the World Cup currently underway in Russia.

 

The boys were discovered huddled on a muddy bank by British divers a week ago. A video showed one of them was wearing an England soccer shirt.

 

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, leader of the Thai military junta that seized power in 2014, planned to visit the cave site on Monday.

 

OUT SAFELY

Thirteen foreign divers and five members of Thailand's elite navy SEAL unit are the main team guiding the boys to safety through narrow, submerged passageways that claimed the life of a former Thai navy diver on Friday.

 

Some of the boys are not strong swimmers and none has diving experience.

 

The head of the rescue mission, Narongsak Osottanakorn, announced late on Sunday the first four children were brought out safely. There were no further official details on the boys' identity or their medical condition on Monday.

 

Narongsak said earlier on Sunday the mission may take three or four days to complete.

 

Thai media identified the first boy to come out as Mongkol Boonpiem, 13.

 

A source inside the Chiang Rai Prachanukroh hospital where the boys are being kept said their condition was "not bad" but said doctors were watching for signs of emerging conditions such as hypothermia.

 

A short official video released by the rescue operation late on Sunday showed four ambulances with their lights flashing driving up the muddy dirt track that leads to the cave complex.

 

It also showed about six soldiers carrying a stretcher towards a waiting ambulance. The stretcher was loaded into the back of the ambulance as medics rushed in the side door.

 

Narongsak was then seen shaking hands with a senior army figure and watching intently at the entrance of a long green medical field tent beside around 15 soldiers.

 

The video also showed a Caucasian diver walking heavily up a muddy slope carrying a face mask and a small oxygen tank, wearing a backpack with his flippers dangling behind his legs.

 

The diver was being applauded by a group of onlookers.

 

(Reporting by Panu Wongcha-um, Patpicha Tanakasempipat, John Geddie and James Pomfret in CHIANG RAI; Additional reporting by Amy Sawitta Lefevre and Panarat Thepgumpanat in BANGKOK; Writing by John Geddie; Editing by Amy Sawitta Lefevre and Paul Tait)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-07-09

[webfact]

Rescue Day 2 Set To Begin

By Khaosod English

 

Rescue workers at the scene on Sunday (photo provided by the authorities)

 

By Jintamas Saksornchai and Todd Ruiz

 

CHIANG RAI — Ambulances have been moved and preparations made Monday to rescue the second batch of boys from the flooded Luang Khun Nam Nang Non cave.

 

After the rescue of four young footballers Sunday buoyed spirits and hope, the team of expert foreign and Thai divers is getting back into the water for what’s hoped to be a repeat performance.

 

Full story:  http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/crimecourtscalamity/2018/07/09/rescue-day-2-set-to-begin/

 

-- © Copyright Khaosod English 2018-07-09

[Jonathan Fairfield]

 

[darksidedog]

Good news. Let us hope that things continue to be as successful as yesterday. I don't think any one is going to relax until ever single one is out and safe.

[scorecard]

And all the divers are out and safe and no need for anybody to go back inside!

 

Then some serious and quick design and installation of strong barriers and gate to totally control who goes in. 

[pegman]

They just may move the mass of them out today. Why take chances with the rainfall. Seems the weakest of the group were moved out yesterday. 

[Basil B]

They got them out earlier than expected yesterday.

 

But the reports make it sound harder than than I expected.

 

with the risk of rising water levels maybe they will revise the plan from 4,3,3,3 to 4,4,5?

 

[Basil B]

12 minutes ago, scorecard said:

And all the divers are out and safe and no need for anybody to go back inside!

 

Then some serious and quick design and installation of strong barriers and gate to totally control who goes in. 

When...

 

also need to make the park or land owners accountable.

[scorecard]

43 minutes ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

 

 -

 

 

[bluesofa]

I see that update on the KhaosodEnglish FB page an hour ago was by Pravit Rojanaphruk:

https://www.facebook.com/KhaosodEnglish/videos/1998139166871672/

 

This is the wiki page about him: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pravit_Rojanaphruk

 

[Sheryl]

Posts trying to use this as a political platform have been removed.  Any more and the people posting them may be as well.?

 

Plenty of existing threads for those who want to talk about Thai, US or any other politics. NOT THIS ONE.

[scorecard]

 Just got my sound to work, now realizing the vid is in English.

[webfact]

Rescue operation for remaining 9 survivors to resume today

By Thai PBS

 

 

Attempts to bring out the remaining 9 survivors trapped in Tham Luang cave in Chiang Rai will resume this morning after four of the young footballers were safely extracted in a dramatic rescue operation.

 

The four boys, who have not been officially identified, are now being given medical check-ups at Chiang Rai provincial hospital where an army of journalists are camping out to wait for news on their conditions.

 

Chief of the rescue operation Narongsak Osotthanakorn said in a press conference last night that rescue divers would go back into the cave to retrieve the remaining survivors after all officials and agencies concerned have conducted an assessment of yesterday’s rescue operation.  It’s still unclear when the rescue operation will resume.

 

Full story: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/rescue-operation-remaining-9-survivors-resume-today/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2018-07-09

[Sheryl]

Supposed to be another press conference or official statement this morning, still waiting for it.

[webfact]

Prayut can only say ‘rescue as soon as possible’

By The Nation

 

 

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said on Monday the eight footballers and their coach remaining in the Chiang Rai cave would be evacuated “as soon as possible”.

 

“Don’t ask in how many days or months they’ll be evacuated,” he told the press. “But we will do it as soon as possible, in the safest way.

 

“Nobody can tell how much time will be needed for the rescue mission.”

 

Prayut said he could not be directly involved in the rescue operation because the mission chief had to make the decisions after consulting all parties, including the boys’ families and foreign experts.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30349636

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-07-09

[ratcatcher]

18 minutes ago, bluesofa said:

I see that update on the KhaosodEnglish FB page an hour ago was by Pravit Rojanaphruk:

https://www.facebook.com/KhaosodEnglish/videos/1998139166871672/

 

This is the wiki page about him: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pravit_Rojanaphruk

 

An extremely well spoken gentleman with perfect English.

[quadperfect]

8 minutes ago, webfact said:

Prayut can only say ‘rescue as soon as possible’

By The Nation

 

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said on Monday the eight footballers and their coach remaining in the Chiang Rai cave would be evacuated “as soon as possible”.

 

“Don’t ask in how many days or months they’ll be evacuated,” he told the press. “But we will do it as soon as possible, in the safest way.

 

“Nobody can tell how much time will be needed for the rescue mission.”

 

Prayut said he could not be directly involved in the rescue operation because the mission chief had to make the decisions after consulting all parties, including the boys’ families and foreign experts.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30349636

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-07-09

The way this guy talks to media is like he is talking to his 5 year old. Get real dude.Everyone knows its not going to take months . They dont have but a few days in other reports so why be such a drama queen

[bluesofa]

11 minutes ago, webfact said:

Prayut can only say ‘rescue as soon as possible’

If only.

 

[Eligius]

2 minutes ago, quadperfect said:

The way this guy talks to media is like he is talking to his 5 year old. Get real dude.Everyone knows its not going to take months . They dont have but a few days in other reports so why be such a drama queen

I am not allowed to make a comment!

[bluesofa]

21 minutes ago, ratcatcher said:

An extremely well spoken gentleman with perfect English.

Very true. He wouldn't have his degree from Oxford University without that.

 

[robblok]

8 minutes ago, quadperfect said:

The way this guy talks to media is like he is talking to his 5 year old. Get real dude.Everyone knows its not going to take months . They dont have but a few days in other reports so why be such a drama queen

Because nothing is sure and things can change in the blink of an eye if it start to rain harder.  So he is keeping his options open and instead of taking control he lets the qualified people do it. That is a good thing, and far better than what he usually does.

[ostyan]

Maybe I am wrong, but I have seen reports on six than seven children escaped. I hope everybody will be out in good health soon.

[kannot]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Thai military junta that seized power in 2014,

I like it? !!!

[DrTuner]

2 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

 

Happy to hear the press has been moved away. Should have been from the get go. Perhaps they'll manage to get a single PR spokesman in place before the operation is over.

[kannot]

1 minute ago, DrTuner said:

Happy to hear the press has been moved away. Should have been from the get go. Perhaps they'll manage to get a single PR spokesman in place before the operation is over.

They should get them all away from the  bloody  hospital too, pack of hyenas

[Sheryl]

It was initially reported yesterday (by media, not official statement) that 6 were brought out . Since clarified that only 4.

 

There was a 4 hour or so delay between when the first kid was brought out and the first official statement, and that led media to scramble for info from informal sources. Actually surprising that more misinformation did not result .

 

Sent from my SM-J701F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

 

 

[Sheryl]

@analysisnytimes 9m9 minutes ago  A helicopter just landed very close to the rescue site.

 

@analysisnytimes 51s52 seconds ago After the #helicopter was seen landing near the cave site, an #ambulance was seen driving toward it and now #rain is coming down heavily.

[Sheryl]

@TaiGalicia 2m2 minutes ago

Reporters on scene say that the rescue Diver's have entered the cave. Second stage of rescue is now underway.

 

 

[tropo]

It was good to see a reasonable explanation as to why the rescue operation needed to be halted for 12 hours - to resupply air tanks to the interior reaches of the cave. It's also good to see that some media outlets are starting to call them "air tanks" and not "oxygen tanks". They're actually only 21% oxygen and 79% nitrogen.

[jerry921]

55 minutes ago, ostyan said:

Maybe I am wrong, but I have seen reports on six than seven children escaped. I hope everybody will be out in good health soon.

You're not wrong, there were such reports. The reports, sadly, were wrong.