Officials have yet to confirm when the 12 boys and their soccer coach will be brought out of Chiang Rai’s Luang Cave — or even whether the method in rescuing them involves the children diving their way out.
According to a statement released to reporters at the rescue center at 4:30pm, because of the complexity of the cave and difficulty of the operation, it is unknown how long it will take for the rescuers to bring out the first batch of boys, who have been trapped in the cave at the Khun Nam Nang Non Forest Park since June 23.
“The divers will work with medics in the cave to assess the boys’ health before determining who will come out first. They cannot decide how many of them will be able to come out for the first operation,” the statement read.
Earlier today, Governor Narongrak Osottanakorn said that 13 international expert divers went into the cave to begin the rescue operation at 10am and the first boy would be brought out at 9pm at the earliest.
There are a number of additional rescue personnel including divers from Thailand, the US, Australia, China and Europe stationed in chamber 3. Officials said that once the children are moved from the chamber where they were found to chamber 3, they will be able to walk to the entrance as the water level has decreased.
A rope system will assist them over difficult terrain.
After they come out of the cave, the 13 will either be flown on helicopters or driven to Prachanukroh Hospital, about 60km south of the Luang Cave.
The soccer team, the “Wild Boars,” consisting of 12 boys, aged 11-16, and their coach entered Luang Cave on June 23 after a training session when the cave was suddenly hit by a flash flood.
