US navy Seals part of international rescue effort that has been hampered by heavy rain

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Rescue divers reached several kilometres inside a flooded cave in northern Thailand as the search for 12 trapped boys and their football coach entered its seventh day.



There was still no contact with the boys, aged 11 to 16, and their coach who went into the 10-kilometre Tham Luang cave on the border with Laos and Myanmar last weekend.

The desperate round-the-clock search for the group has been beset by torrential downpours, blocking divers from going in.

But on Saturday US navy Seals reached a T-junction in the depths of the cave just two or three kilometres (one to two miles) from where the boys are believed to be, said the Chiang Rai governor, Narongsak Osottanakorn.

Divers reached the same spot earlier in the week but were forced back by rushing floodwaters. This time divers left bottles of oxygen along the tunnel walls so swimmers navigating the muddy pools with almost no visibility could stay under for longer.

“The situation is better today than yesterday and the day before. Water has receded considerably and we are pumping out water in all chambers [near the entrance],” Narongsak told reporters.

Cave boys' relatives keep vigil as rescue effort grips Thailand Read more

The group has little or no food and light, though they likely have access to fresh water – either dripping in through rocks or rushing in through the entrance – but experts warned that runoff water from nearby farms could carry dangerous chemicals or bacteria.

“If they drink the water in the caves and it makes them sick it could hasten the problem that they are in, but if they don’t drink it then they are also in trouble,” said Anmar Mirza, the US National Cave Rescue Commission coordinator.

Even without food, he said, young, athletic boys could “easily live for a month or a month and a half”.

“The biggest issue that they are facing right now if they are alive is psychological, because they don’t know at what point they might get rescued,” Mirza said.

The dramatic week-long rescue has galvanised the nation and prompted emotional outpourings online from well-wishers praying for their safe return.

Cartoon images of the smiling boys being found by divers circulated, along with messages for the team: “Stay Strong”, “We are Coming” and “Don’t Give Up”.

Richard Barrow in Thailand (@RichardBarrow) Many people from around the world are holding their breath and praying for the best while they wait to hear about the thirteen Thai youngsters trapped in #ThamLuang Cave in Northern #Thailand. Still no news of their rescue on Day 5. Cartoon by @stephffart pic.twitter.com/FIeVDLWwWM

Lady Vachida (@thisisvachida) Just close your eyes

The sun is going down

You’ll be alright

No one can hurt you now

Come morning light

You and I’ll be safe and sound 💕 #ถ้ําหลวง #13ชีวิตติดถ้ํา #ThamLuang pic.twitter.com/91nBS5LbCE

Teams of foreign experts from the US, Australia, China and Japan have descended on the remote mountainous site to join some 1,000 Thai rescuers.

Several teams trekked into the thick jungle above the cave desperately looking for new openings that might lead to the trapped boys. One team was drilling into a 40-metre chimney that led to a muddy chamber. Another chimney was discovered nearby and helicopters carrying food, water and medical supplies were dispatched to the area. But the main priority is trying to reach the boys through the main entrance.

Officials said the boys know the site well and have visited it many times before, buoying hopes that they might have trekked to a large airy chamber in the centre.

Rescuers found footprints and handprints in a chamber near that spot earlier in the week, further in from where they found the kids’ football boots, backpacks and bicycles.