THE 12 young soccer players boys and their coach are free from the Thai cave, with their brave rescuers completing a complicated and dangerous mission that has captivated the world.

Every member of the Wild Boars soccer team who was trapped in an underground cave is now free, with several carried out on stretchers.

The team’s coach was last to emerge, followed by a doctor and several Thai Navy SEALs who accompanied them.

It brings an end to the third and final rescue mission to save the group which spent more than two weeks in the cave.

The first eight boys rescued from inside the mountain in northern Thailand were reportedly prone to lung infections and other diseases — but otherwise appear to be doing well.

During a press conference at Chiang Rai Prachanukroh Hospital, a health official said all of the boys are suffering ailments including fevers, mild coughs and low heart rates, and two may have a lung infection.

In addition to lung infections, there are fears the boys may have developed pneumonia, leptospirosis — a bacterial disease that affects humans and animals — and melioidosis, a potentially-fatal disease found in contaminated soil. It’s also likely they will be tested for hypothermia.

They will remain in hospital for at least a week as a precautionary method to protect them from infection.

The first four who were rescued are now able to eat soft food. They requested and were given chocolate, but aren’t able to eat anything too spicy just yet.

The official said the second group will be able to see their parents, but they will have to communicate behind the glass wall of a quarantined hospital room.

The boys’ families met with the country’s prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha at the hospital last night.

WILD BOARS REUNITED

On Facebook, the Thai Navy SEALS summed up the mood: “Today the Wild Boar pack will be reunited. Hooyah!”

The eleventh boy came to the surface at 5.15pm local time (8.15pm AEST), the tenth at around 4.30pm local time (7.30pm AEST) and the ninth just minutes earlier at 4.06pm.

Thai authorities have been reluctant to confirm any rescues until the end of each day but a flurry of ambulances and helicopters has tended to be a giveaway. News agency Reuters said a witness saw three young people being carried out of the cave on stretchers.

It’s thought the youngest boy in the group, aged 11, was in Tuesday’s rescue group.

Confirmed 11 boys out, 12th not yet #thamluangcave — michael safi (@safimichael) July 10, 2018

UPDATE: Tenth person seen carried out of Thai cave on a stretcher - @Reuters witness pic.twitter.com/z945yRVmvY — Reuters Top News (@Reuters) July 10, 2018

BREAKING; We are hearing unconfirmed reports that the ninth boy has just come out of the #thamluangcave. Nine down. Four more to go in this extraordinary rescue mission. — amanda hodge (@hodgeamanda) July 10, 2018

Authorities were desperate to get the mission done on Tuesday with officials on the ground describing a “race against time” as the weather worsens.

The BBC’s Jonathan Head said the incessant rain had focused minds: “The team of Thai and foreign divers has gone back in to try to bring out the last four boys and their coach, in what one person involved in the operation described as a race against time — the rain is likely to increase water levels in the cave system.”

At 10.08am local time (1.08pm AEST) 19 divers headed back into the tunnels.



Thai navy Seals Facebook: "Today 10 July, wil be a longer day than the day before. But we'll look forward to celebrating the success. Hooyah" #thamluangcave @heldavidson — michael safi (@safimichael) July 10, 2018

“We expect that everybody will be out today, the children and coach and everybody will be out today,” said mission commander and Chiang Rai governor Narongsak Osottanakorn on Tuesday afternoon.

Applause is said to have rung out at the press centre when officials announced the mission was underway.

However, Mr Narongsak sounded a note of caution, telling reporters that the third mission was more perilous than the previous two. On Sunday and Monday, the teams only had to pull out four people in each push. On Tuesday, five people needed to be rescued, along with a doctor and three Navy SEALs.

“Please give us time to work. Today’s mission is more demanding than the two previous days.” he said, warning it could be a longer wait.

Is this the final push in the #thaicaverescue ? @AFP 's sources tell us the rescuers are confident of success and that all the remaining five will be brought out today. The weather isn't great - continuous rain - but this won't hamper the rescue, we're told. — Richard Sargent (@rsargent79) July 10, 2018

HOPE FOR ‘100 PER CENT SUCCESS’

There was speculation coach Ekapol Chantawong, 25, could be left behind to spend a lonely night in the cave. In a press conference last night, Mr Narongsak warned that “the plan is designed for rescuing four” and “for safety, the best number is four”.

But divers pushed ahead to complete their toughest mission of the three.

Mr Narongsak said in a press conference on Monday night that he hoped for “100 per cent success” when the rescue resumed on Tuesday.

Local officials have refused to publicly confirm the identities of those who had been saved.

The final five people stuck in the Tham Luang caves were assessed as healthy by a doctor, who journeyed three kilometres through the cave complex to check them over ahead of the last, risky trip.

A senior Thai officer said the rescue plan was reviewed after Sunday’s operation to make it “sharper”, with Monday’s evacuation completed in nine hours — around two hours faster than the previous day’s operation.

Rescue teams re-entered the cave system for the second mission at 11am local time on Monday (2pm AEST). The fifth boy blinked into daylight at around 4.30pm (7.30pm AEST) and was carried to a waiting ambulance on a stretcher, witnesses said. He was then transferred to a helicopter and taken to join the other rescued boys at a hospital in Chiang rai.

The sixth boy emerged at around 6pm local time (9pm AEST), and the seventh and eighth in quick succession at 7pm (10pm AEST).

The Thai Navy SEALs confirmed on Monday night that eight of the “Wild Boar” soccer team had escaped the complex. “8TH BOAR … Hooyah,” the SEALs posted on their Facebook page.

Cheers were heard outside the cave as reports emerged that four more boys had successfully made the dangerous journey to the surface in Khun Nam Nang Non Forest Park.

On Monday, Mr Narongsak said the first four rescued boys were in good spirits but hungry, revealing they were craving pad kra pao — a popular dish of spicy basil chicken with rice.

He noted the risk of higher carbon dioxide levels in the cave and fluctuating water levels, with experts warning him that rain could shrink the dry ledge where the boys are sheltering to just 10 sqm.

“All the plans must not have any holes in them,” he said, noting that “hundreds of people have vetted this” and “there will always be margins for error”.

Thai prime minister Prayut Chan-ocha visited the divers and rescue workers at the cave site on Monday night to thank them for their efforts. He also went to the hospital in Chiang rai to meet the rescued boys.

The same divers who brought the first four boys to safety on Sunday night went in again on Monday to save the next four.

The team and their coach were imprisoned underground for more than two weeks in the cave in the country’s mountainous north.

Picture taken just now at the #Thamluangcave site where Thai PM Prayut Chan-ocha is meeting with Thai NavySEALS army medics rescue at end of big day where four more young footballers rescued tonight bringing total number of boys evacuated since Sunday to EIGHT. Five left inside pic.twitter.com/QEdWBEmbBy — amanda hodge (@hodgeamanda) July 9, 2018

BREAKING; a sixth boy has now emerged from #thamluangcave - the second rescue for the day - and is being treated on site by medics. The fifth boy was stretchered out at around 445pm and has now arrived at Chiang Rai hospital after being choppered from the cave rescue site. — amanda hodge (@hodgeamanda) July 9, 2018

The fifth boy was airlifted from #ThamLuang cave to Chiangrai Prachanukroh Hospital in Chiang Rai. #ThaiCaveRescue pic.twitter.com/GxV9Jyg7lt — Bangkok Post (@BangkokPostNews) July 9, 2018

#ThamLuangRescue: At 11am evacuation has resumed. Almost the same set of divers deployed, with some replaced due to conditions. Today we're ready. All equipment is ready. We hope we'll have good news in no time: Mission chief Narongsak https://t.co/iQNTaIihz5 pic.twitter.com/UgvoFBLbwW — Pichayada P. (@PichayadaCNA) July 9, 2018

Astonishing that Thai authorities have not allowed the parents of the four boys rescued yesterday to meet them. Not clear why. Kids are healthy, says governor Narongsak, and happy. Quarantine? How risky could it be? We understand they have not even seen them through glass — Jonathan Head (@pakhead) July 9, 2018

"Four boys are okay at the hospital and this morning they already asked for rice with basil" #thamluangcave @sloumarsh — michael safi (@safimichael) July 9, 2018

THE FIRST RESCUE

The 12 young players from Moo Pa (Wild Boar) Academy soccer squad and their coach — a former monk — became trapped on a dank ledge in the dark chamber on June 23.

It was nine days before they were found deep in the mountain by British cave specialists, some suffering from exhaustion and malnourishment.

The divers took food and supplies to the group to build up their strength, but the arrival of monsoon rains made it essential to immediately extract them.

In a race against time amid a heavy downpour, experts concluded their original plan to swim the boys out was the best option.

Thirteen divers entered the cave at 10am Sunday local time (1pm AEST) — some heading straight for the trapped group and others taking up stations along the 3km system of flooded chambers.

Ten rescuers headed to the boys in chamber nine, and to the junction at chamber six, while the others went to support positions shortly afterwards.

Each boy was to wear a full scuba mask, wetsuit, boots and a helmet as they were accompanied by two divers through the cave.

It's pouring again in Chiang Rai's Mae Sai district, where #ThamLuang cave complex is located. Authorities said earlier tonight they hope it wouldn't rain too much over next few days. Otherwise, rescue of the remaining 5 survivors could be affected https://t.co/vgn5sug9sK pic.twitter.com/dS0lNyeytY — Pichayada P. (@PichayadaCNA) July 9, 2018

They were to be strapped to a “buddy”, the leading diver, by a tether and dragged along.

This diver was to carry two tanks and share oxygen with the boy as the other followed them through the cold, murky water and airless chambers that have already claimed one life.

The foreign divers and five Thai divers entered the caves after an Australian doctor gave the all clear. Locals were required because none of the foreigners speak Thai and communication before and during the dive was key.

The second leg of the risky operation was placed on hold after Sunday’s rescue as air canisters were replenished along the underwater route to where the boys and their coach were trapped.

Defibrillators were also put in place in case the rescue should take a bad turn.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said lessons from the initial effort would be applied as two more groups of four were brought out of the cave. “The fact that it took so many hours underscores how precarious this whole mission is,” she said.

Contrary to initial reports, it’s now believed the weakest boys were selected to come out first, following an assessment by Adelaide cave diver and anaesthetist Dr Richard Harris.

Additional rescue personnel, including divers from Thailand, the US, Australia, China and Europe, were stationed between the third chamber and the entrance, where the boys would have to use a rope to traverse challenging terrain.

THE GREAT TRAGEDY OF THE RESCUE

The death of military diver Saman Kunan on Friday underscored the huge risks the boys face.

Saman was part of a team trying to establish an airline to the chamber where the children were awaiting rescue.

He had placed oxygen tanks along the route but didn’t have enough air to get back to safety.

“We lost one man, but we still have faith to carry out our work,” Navy SEAL commander Apakorn Yookongkaew vowed.