Phiphat Photi’s message to his family from the depths of Thailand’s Tham Luang cave was short and hopeful. "If I get out, please can you bring me some grilled pork and vegetables?” the 15-year-old wrote.

He and the other 11 trapped boys wrote the letters in the darkness of the cave, which were then delivered to their parents by Thai Navy Seal divers.

The short notes, written on scraps of paper, were the first communication the anxious parents have had from their children since they disappeared on June 23.

"I am so happy to see his letter, his handwriting. I'm almost crying," said Supaluk Sompiengjai, the mother of one of the boys.

"It doesn't matter how long I wait as long as he is safe."

Thai authorities said Saturday that conditions for a rescue were “perfect” over the next to three to four days, before fresh rainfall or shrinking oxygen supplies endanger the mission.