Thailand cave rescue live: No rescue attempt until boys learn to use diving equipment, says top official

Former navy SEAL diver dies trying to prepare for boys' rescue as threat of new rains is imminent

Missing Thai boys found trapped in cave with their football coach

Authorities in Thailand say they cannot immediately attempt an underwater evacuation of free 12 boys and their football coach from a flooded cave in Thailand, as the children have not yet learnt to use dive equipment. That is despite imminent new rainstorms threatening to undo all their best efforts to drain water from the cave network.

The official in immediate charge of the operation, Governor Narongsak Osatanakorn, indicated strongly at a midnight news conference that if heavy rains started and appeared to be causing flooded areas in the cave to rise again, they would try to take the boys out with divers right away.

In addition to the rains, a new urgent threat has emerged in the form of reduced oxygen levels in the chamber where the boys are trapped. The navy SEAL commander leading the operation said today: “We originally thought the boys can stay safe inside the cave for quite some time but circumstances have changed. We have a limited amount of time.”

The dangers involved in getting the boys out of the cave were emphasised overnight when an experienced diver, 38-year-old former navy SEAL Saman Gunan, died after falling unconscious underwater. He is to be given a royal-sponsored funeral.

Please wait a moment for the live blog to load

Authorities have been racing to pump out water from the cave before more storms hit the region in the coming days and send water levels rising again.

At this time though, the only way for the boys to get out of the cave is by diving, something cave rescue experts warn is extremely dangerous even for those with experience.

Friday’s death of the former Seal underscores those risks. The diver was working in a volunteer capacity and died during an overnight mission in which he was placing oxygen canisters along the route divers must take to get to the children, navy SEAL commander Arpakorn Yookongkaew said.

The strategically placed canisters allow divers to stay under water for longer during what is about a five-hour trip to reach the stranded team.

While underwater, the rescuer passed out and efforts to resuscitate him failed, Mr Arpakorn said.

Another navy official said he did not believe the man’s oxygen tank ran out.

“Despite this, we will continue until we accomplish our mission,” Mr Arpakorn said.

Key Points

• Former navy SEAL dies trying to rescue trapped boys
• Elon Musk comes up with bizarre solution to the situation
• Officials rule out rescue operation until boys learn how to dive sufficiently

[6 July 2018 19:50 · Andrew Buncombe]

Tributes continue to pour in for the Thai diver who died

[6 July 2018 21:20 · Steve Anderson]

We are ending our coverage for now. Thanks for reading.