Four boys have been rescued from a cave in Thailand after 15 days trapped, and the rescue of the remaining eight could take four days.
Rescue teams comprised of divers, Thai Navy SEALs and other experts have been trying to extricate a group of 12 boys and their coach trapped deep within a flooded cave system. According to a report by CNN, an 18-person team went into the cave on Sunday. A few hours later, witnesses saw at least three of the boys emerging from the cave at last.
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Rescue efforts for the remaining eight boys will resume Monday, aw the next divers will not be able to go in for at least 10 hours.
The rescue process is treacherous, requiring the boys to be led through the labyrinthine cave system one by one. It is estimated to take nine hours for SEALs and other experts to go between the entrance and the small perch where the team is stranded.
Sources on the scene told reporters that at least three of the boys were out, while a U.S. official confirmed that four in total had been rescued. Reports continue trickling in saying that more boys are safe, but they have yet to be confirmed.
“Today is D-day,” declared Chian Rai’s governor, Narongsak Osotthanakorn.
President Donald Trump also addressed the rescue in a tweet posted on Sunday morning.
“The U.S. is working very closely with the Government of Thailand to help get all of the children out of the cave and to safety,” he wrote. “Very brave and talented people!”
The U.S. is working very closely with the Government of Thailand to help get all of the children out of the cave and to safety. Very brave and talented people!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 8, 2018
The mission is far from over. Divers are rushing back and forth, hoping to save the boys and their coach before the air supply dwindles. Meanwhile, there has been some success in draining the caves, which has already shortened the swim from an estimated 11 hours to nine hours.
In order to escape, the boys must pass through at least a kilometer-long stretch that is completely flooded, and no wider than a single person. In other places, they can wade through high waters and breathe freely, but it is still a long journey for the kids, who are between the ages of 11 and 16.
Time is only growing shorter on multiple fronts. The boys have been trapped for over two weeks, making them malnourished and harder to rescue. Meanwhile, the caves are expected to flood again very shortly.
“We have two obstacles: water and time,” Osotthanakorn explained. “This [is] what we have been racing against since day one. We have to do all we can, even though it is hard to fight the force of nature.”
Experts believe monsoon rains begin, the cave will be inaccessible until at least October, dooming those still left inside.
