All twelve Thai boys and soccer coach who were trapped in an underwater cave were finally rescued on Tuesday, July 10.

What started out as a fun excursion after soccer practice, quickly changed directions as the boys and coach found themselves in an endangering situation as the cave they were in began flooding with water. Unable to escape, the group settled and spent ten days in the cave, surviving off the small snacks they shared and licking the walls for droplets of water.

During this time, an extensive search party was launched after concerns for the missing children were raised by locals. Eventually, evidence led to the Tham Luang cave, its entrance mainly sealed off due to the heavy monsoon storms.

Despite the constant flooding, officials were able to pump out 40% of the water out of the cave after spending day and night at the site which had even ruined neighboring farmlands. The divers spent five hours to eventually get through the cave due to the heavy concentration of sediment the water contained in contribution to the narrow and confined spaces the pathway undertook. Air tanks were delivered to the rescue base in the cave in preparation for the upcoming evacuation; in addition, a group of Thai Navy Seals, and a doctor and nurse stayed with the trapped group supplying them of protein shakes and medical assistance.

The boys received food, water, and medicine with the help of the Navy as well as international experienced divers. Furthermore, oxygen levels increased through resupplied through an air pipe that had reached from the rescue base in the cave to the location the boys were at.

Over a three-day period, the group was evacuated through a separate set of missions that worked to bring several members at a time. Each mission consisted of two divers on each end of one person, who was dosed with anti-anxiety pills, pulling or pushing the stretcher along the narrow path of the cave. Divers were also guided by a small rope that was connected to the entrance of the cave to find their way out.

In spite of initial concerns, the group was successful in bringing out the weary group, who quickly transferred to the hospital to be quarantined.

<Esther Hwang Walnut HS 10th Grade>