https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/jul/11/thai-cave-rescue-navy-seals-say-mis...Disaster almost struck right at the very end- "they heard screams in the cave as the water started to rise-"
Quote:Thailand cave rescue
Thai cave rescue: Navy Seals say mission came 'close to disaster'
Rescuers who freed Wild Boars team from Tham Luang cave tell of dangers that included heavy rain and low oxygen
How the Thai cave rescue unfolded - video
The 12 boys whose rescue from a cave in northern Thailand this week captivated the world, have had a tearful reunion with their parents as it was revealed just how close the mission came to disaster.
Footage released by Thai authorities on Wednesday evening showed the 12 children and Ekkapol Chantawong, the 25-year-old football coach trapped with them, in hospital beds wearing surgical masks, clasping their palms in gratitude to the camera.
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Another clip showed the boys’ parents watching them from behind a window, waving and wiping away tears of joy and relief.
The reunions, experienced at a distance or through glass because the boys must be cleared of potential infections, were broadcast as part of a nationally televised press conference about the rescue of the members of the Wild Boars football club.
Authorities gave further details of the 17-day operation to free the boys from the Tham Luang cave in the Doi Nang Non mountain range, framing it as a battle against the elements.
When the boys’ bikes were first discovered outside the cave, rescuers initially thought the mission to find the children would be straightforward. They learned otherwise a few days into the search when heavy rain filled the cave faster then expected, forcing even navy personnel to retreat.
“We fought and were defeated, losing space to the water,” said Narongsak Osatanakorn, head of the joint command centre coordinating the operation.
Navy Seals began deep forays into the cave but were hindered by the muddy conditions, narrow paths and high water levels. “The cave was unlike anything we had ever experienced, it was so dark,” said Apakorn Youkongkaew, a rear admiral in the Thai navy.
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So challenging were the conditions that, for 23 hours, the Seals lost contact with two teams they sent into the cave, he said.
A week into the search their efforts to pump rain water out of the cave were proving fruitless. They called for heavier-duty equipment and a contingent of expert cave divers from the UK, Australia, China, US and Europe.