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All 12 boys and the football coach saved from a flooded cave in Thailand are skinnier for their ordeal but generally in good condition, health officials have said, as new details emerged of a rescue operation that could easily have ended in disaster.
Thailand and the international community reacted with a mixture of relief and gratitude as the last group of boys emerged on Tuesday night from the Tham Luang cave, where they had been trapped for 17 days.
A doctor and three navy Seals who had kept a vigil with the boys since they were found last Monday were among the last to leave the cave system, emerging to cheers and applause from other rescue workers.
But according to some divers involved in Tuesday’s final mission, there was a hair-raising moment just hours after the last boy left the cave when the main pump failed, causing water levels to rise suddenly.
The last four Thai navy Seal divers emerge from the cave on Tuesday night (Thai navy Seal/Getty) (Royal Thai Navy/Getty) One diver, who has not been named, was quoted in the Guardian as saying he heard screams coming from deeper within the caves as those working to clean up all the equipment used in the rescue ran to escape the rising waters, their headlamps flashing in the dark.
“The screams started coming because the main pumps failed and the water started rising,” he said. “All these headlights start coming over the hill and the water was coming ... It was noticeably rising.”
At that time there were still around 100 people working in the cave, some as far as 1.5km (0.9 miles) in. They were all able to get out safely, however.
At a news conference on Wednesday morning, Commander Glenn McEwan of the Australian Federal Police – leading the 19-strong Australian contingent of the rescue effort – was asked what might have happened if the pump had failed while the boys were still inside.
He said: “Of course it would have been harder. But the pumps had worked and they greatly assisted the accessibility and allowed the effort to continue and be as successful as it was.
“Speculation is probably not warranted right now,” he said, adding that you could always have “a million what ifs”. “We are here to celebrate the success; the pumps did work and did greatly assist our endeavours.”
All 12 boys and their coach are currently in quarantine in the main hospital in Chiang Rai city, after those rescued on Tuesday night were flown by helicopter to join their teammates.
Thailand cave rescue operation: in picturesShow all 100 1 /100Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures The 12 boys and their coach in the cave
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures A rescue team stands in the entrance to the cave
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures A relative shows a picture of the boys after they were found on 2 July
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Thai military inside the cave complex
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures The 12 boys and their soccer coach who were rescued from a flooded cave arrive for a news conference in the northern province of Chiang Rai, Thailand,
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures The boys and their soccer coach rescued from a flooded cave play soccer
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures The young footballers and their coach appeared healthy when they appeared before the media for the first time since the rescue
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Coach Ekapol Chantawong
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures The 12 rescued members of the Wild Boar soccer team are greeted by their classmates on a mini soccer pitch
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Rescued Thai football coach Ekkapol Chantawong together with 12 children pays tribute to Thai navy diver, Samarn Kunan, who died whilst attempting to rescue the boys
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Twelve young footballers and their coach rescued from a Thai caves being treated in hospital
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Rescued soccer team members posing with a sketch of the Thai Navy SEAL diver who died while trying to rescue them
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Players writing messages on a drawing of former Navy SEAL diver Saman Kunan who died during attempts to rescue them
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Rescued "Wild Boars" football team members (top row L to R) Adul Sam-on, 14, Ekkarat Wongsukchan, 14, Phipat Photi, 15, Chanin Wiboonrungrueang, 11, (middle row L to R) Pornchai Khamluang, 16, Duangphet Promthep, 13, Peerapat Sompiengjai, 16, Sompong Jaiwong, 13, (bottom row L to R) Mongkol Boonpiem, 13, Prachak Sutham, 14, Nutthawut Thakamsong, 14, and Phanumas Saengdee, 13, recovering at the hospital in Chiang Rai province
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures The life vest belonging to Duangpetch Promthep, the rescued captain of the "Wild Boars",
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Divers from the rescue mission, from left to right: Chris Jewell, Mike Clayton, Rick Stanton, Lance-corporal Connor Rae, Josh Bratchley, Gary Mitchell and Jim Way who helped to save 12 schoolboys and their football coach from a flooded cave in Thailand, speak to media after arriving back at London's Heathrow Airport
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Volunteers gather for a ceremony before the clean up operation at the Tham Luang cave
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures The last four Thai Navy SEALs come out safely after completing the rescue mission inside a cave where 12 boys and their soccer coach have been trapped since June 23, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, northern Thailand. Thailand's navy SEALs say all 12 boys and their soccer coach have been rescued from a flooded cave in far northern Thailand, ending an ordeal that lasted more than two weeks.
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures People celebrate
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures A woman lifts her child near the hospital, seen at left, as ambulance transporting members of the children's football team arrives
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Volunteers react after hearing all boys were rescued
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Rescue personnel work at the Tham Luang cave
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Rescue personnel work at the Tham Luang cave
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Onlookers at the junction in front of Chiangrai Prachanukroh Hospital watch and cheer
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Journalists celebrate after a news conferenc
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures An ambulance, reportedly carrying members of the rescued football team, arrives at a hospital
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Thai Navy divers in the Tham Luang cave
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Rescue personnel work at the Tham Luang cave
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Thai media listen Chiang Rai province acting Gov. Narongsak Osatanakorn
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Police and military personnel use umbrellas to cover a stretcher near a helicopter and an ambulance at a military airport in Chiang Rai as rescue operations continue for those still trapped inside the cave in Khun Nam Nang Non Forest Park in the Mae Sai district. Four boys among the group of 13 trapped in a flooded Thai cave for more than a fortnight were rescued on July 8 after surviving a treacherous escape, raising hopes elite divers would also save the others soon
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Thai military medical personnel walking inside a restricted area as preparations are made to transport rescued boys from Tham Luang cave to a hospital
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Thai authorities placing a rescued boy in an ambulance
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Paramedics, believed to be carrying a boy who has been evacuated after being trapped inside a flooded cave, approach a helicopter in Chiang Rai
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures This frame grab from video tweeted by Elon Musk shows a "tiny kid-sized submarine" being tested in a pool at Palisades Charter High School, in California. Musk's Space X rocket company tested the submarine that could potentially help rescue the remaining children and their coach trapped in a flooded cave in Thailand.
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Thai military personnel preparing to move the boys to a hospital
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Emergency workers carrying one of the boys rescued from the cave
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures A Thai nurse walks past an ambulance at a covered area of the Chiangrai Prachanukroh Hospital
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Indian schoolchildren hold placards and pictures during a prayer event for the safe rescue of young football players and their coach
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures An ambulance exits from the Tham Luang cave area
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures A military helicopter carrying rescued schoolboys approaches to land at a military airport in Chiang Rai.
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures A group of volunteers prepare to leave in search of alternative entry points to the Tham Luang cave area
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Thai soldiers drag a water pipe to bypass water from the mountain and to not get back inside the cave
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Hundreds of rescuers with equipment continue the rescue operation
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Monks lead out family members of the boys from the cave site after a morning prayer
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Thai rescue workers take a break
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Water pumps push water out of the cave
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Relatives, of the 12 schoolboys and their soccer coach trapped inside a flooded cave in the Tham Luang cave complex cook, for rescue workers and volunteers near the cave complex
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Rescue teams carry water pipes to the entrance of cave complex
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Thai soldiers and police officers are seen as rescue operations continue for the 12 boys and their football team coach trapped in Tham Luang cave at Khun Nam Nang Non Forest Park in the Mae Sai district of Chiang Rai province on July 7, 2018. More than 100 chimneys are being drilled into the mountainside in a frantic bid to reach a Thai youth football team trapped in a cave complex below, the head of the rescue mission said on July 7
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Family members pray in front of a Buddhist statue near a cave where 12 boys and their soccer coach have been trapped since June 23, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand Saturday, July 7, 2018. The soccer coach trapped in a cave with 12 Thai boys apologized to their parents in the first letter he and the team have sent out through divers, in which the boys say they're doing well and missing their families
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Thai military inside the cave complex
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Australian Federal Police and Defense Force personnel talk with a Thai diver
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures A rescuer prepares a light for diving to reach the 12 boys and their soccer coach
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Soliders are seen near the Tham Luang cave complex, where 12 schoolboys and their soccer coach are trapped inside a flooded cave, in the northern province of Chiang Rai, Thailand
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Water is pumped from a flooded cave
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Thai rescuers rest during the ongoing rescue operation
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Thai military personnel inside a cave complex
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Rescue teams assemble at the entrance to the Tham Luang cave complex
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Thai Navy soldiers in the flooded Tham Luang cave during rescue operations
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Local Thai National Park Rescuers relax at base camp
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Journalists work near Tham Luang cave complex
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures A Thai policeman guards an area under rainfall
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures A Thai policeman guards an area under rainfall near the Tham Luang cave
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures
Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Divers gather before they enter to the Tham Luang cave, where 12 boys and their soccer coach are trapped, in the northern province of Chiang Rai, Thailand
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Thai military bring water pumps to the cave. Videos released by the Thai Navy SEAL shows that the boys, aged 11 to 16, and their 25-year-old coach are in good health in Tham Luang Nang Non cave and the challenge now will be to extract the party safely.
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures An honour guard holds up a picture of Samarn Kunan, 38, a former member of Thailand's elite navy SEAL unit who died working to save 12 boys and their soccer coach trapped inside a flooded cave, at an airport in Rayong province
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Military personnel are seen in front of the Tham Luang cave
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures The former navy SEAL diver, Saman Kunan, who died trying to help save the trapped boys
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Rescue workers convene behind a large pile of oxygen tanks
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures A Buddhist monk leads military honor guards carrying a flag-draped coffin containing former Thai Navy Seal Petty Officer 1st class Saman Kunan, who died in the ongoing Tham Luang cave rescue operations, during a repatriation ceremony at Mae Fah Luang international airport.
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Thai students pray for the ongoing rescue operations
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Thai soldiers and police officers pay their respects as a Thai Navy plane carrying the body of Saman Kunan takes off
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Rescue workers prepare frogsuits for soldiers
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures The diver's death raises serious doubts over the safety of attempting to bring the 12 boys and their football coach out through the cramped, waterlogged passageways of the Tham Luang cave.
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Family members pray before a shrine in Tham Luang cave area
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures A family member prays before a shrine in Tham Luang cave area
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Thai rescue teams use headlamps to enter a pitch-black cave complex where 12 boys and their soccer coach went missing, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, northern Thailand, Monday, July 2, 2018. The group was discovered late July 2 after 10 days totally cut off from the outside world, and while they are for the most physically healthy, experts say the ordeal has likely taken a mental toll that could worsen the longer the situation lasts.
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures The mother of a trapped child reacts during the ongoing rescue operations
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Family members pray before a shrine in Tham Luang cave area
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Grandmother Kham-aoey Promthep, 64, shows a photograph of her grandson, Duangpetch Promthep, who is one of 13 members
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures A Thai student shows an image of her classmate Panumas Sangdee, who is one of 13 members of a soccer team trapped
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Buddhist monk Kruba Boonchum visits the site to perform religious rituals
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha visits the site
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures British cave-divers (from left to right) Richard William Stanton, Robert Charles Harper and John Volanthen join the rescue effort
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Divers prepare for the rescue mission
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures A rescuer enters the cave
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures The father of one of the missing boys thanks soldiers after the boys are found
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Relatives celebrate after they hear that the boys have been found
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Relatives pray after they hear that the boys have been found
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Relatives celebrate after they hear that the boys have been found
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures General Bancha Duriyaphan announces the news to the press
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures With the rescue mission still ongoing, Thai soldiers carry equipment into the cave
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures With the rescue mission still ongoing, Thai soldiers carry equipment into the cave
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Water is being pumped out of the flooded cave complex in an effort to make the rescue easier
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Thongchai Lertwilairattanapong, an inspector for Thailand’s health department, told reporters the boys had lost an average of 2kg each in weight during their time trapped in the cave.
“From our assessment, they are in good condition and not stressed. The children were well taken care of in the cave,” he said.
Parents of the first four boys freed on Sunday have been able to visit them but had to wear protective suits and stand 2m away as a precaution.
Thongchai said one from the last group rescued on Tuesday had a lung infection and they were all given vaccinations for rabies and tetanus.
Thai prime minister, Prayuth Chan-ocha, made a televised statement thanking everyone involved in the mission who “shared their expertise, manpower and equipment”.
Official help came from Britain, the United States, Japan, Laos, Myanmar, China and Australia , a government document showed. There were also volunteers from Denmark, Germany, Belgium, Canada, Ukraine and Finland.
Commander McEwan acknowledged the degree of international cooperation “in a very unfriendly environment”.
“It is amazing what the human being can do. There are extraordinary people doing extraordinary things,” he said. “We are humbled to have been a part of it. Returning the Wild Boar soccer team safely into the arms of their loved ones is the good news of the year,” he said.
The dramatic rescue dominated front page headlines in Thailand on Wednesday.
“Hooyah! Mission accomplished,” read one, echoing the rallying cry of the Thai navy Seals involved in the rescue.
The hashtag #Hooyah was also hugely popular with Thai users online wanting to show their support for the hundreds of rescuers, including divers from around the world, who helped to get the boys out.
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