Five years later, caving experts describe as miraculous the fact that 12 children and their coach were rescued alive from inside Tham Luang, a 10-kilometre long cave system, the fourth largest in Thailand, where they had trapped by the rapidly rising waters. A strong monsoon storm had caused several sections of the cave to flood, making it impossible for hikers to return to the surface.
A soccer team trapped for 18 days
Monsoon rains flooded the Tham Luang cave,
located in Chiand Rai province, north of Thailand.
12 boys and their coach were trapped while performing
an excursion, since the storm had blocked the way
towards the exit of the complex.
A football team trapped
for 18 days
Monsoon rains flooded the cave
Tham Luang, located in the province
from Chiand Rai, north of Thailand.
12 children and their coach were
caught while performing
an excursion, since the storm
had blocked the way
towards the exit of the complex.
For the next two weeks, the rescue received media attention when Stanton and Volanthen, two experienced British divers from the international contingent, located the children alive on a platform in one of the flooded galleries. Thai authorities considered delaying the evacuation until the monsoon ended, but CO2 levels were rising alarmingly in the enclosed space they shared. They soon considered the safest methods of transporting the boys, as well as managing their breathing underwater during the delicate operation.
Camera 3:
basis of operation
Complex
of the cave
from Tham Luang
Initially it
I hoped to find
at this point to the group.
two british divers
they advanced a few meters
More until I find them.
bombs
extraction
of water
A worrisome prognosis before being rescued
The rain outside the cave increased rapidly
after the children entered the complex, further flooding some
tickets. Heavy rain forecast presented a terrifying scenario
because water levels could quickly rise again.
Scale in millimeters of water – Source: SCMP
Saturday 23
of June:
the kids are
declared
missing
forecast of
rains for july
Complex
of the cave
from Tham Luang
two divers
British
they advanced further
from this point to
give with them
A worrying prognosis
The rain outside the cave increased
quickly after the admission of the children
to the complex, further flooding some
tickets. Heavy rain forecast
presented a terrifying scenario because
water levels could return
to increase rapidly.
Figures in millimeters of water – Source: SCMP
Saturday 23
of June:
the kids are
declared
missing
Rain forecast for July
June 23
Boys
remain trapped
June 24
The authorities
start the search
June 25th
They are footprints
inside the cave
June 26th
pumps are installed
water extractors
June 27th
British Diving Experts
join the search
1st of July
rescue teams
reach ‘Pattaya Beach’
July 2nd
The twelve schoolchildren and their tutor
are found alive
July 6th
Rescuer dies
he was carrying supplies
Today a bronze statue
placed in the museum of the cave reminds
to Saman Kunan, the late Thai diver
during the rescue.
July 7th
The kids write
letters to relatives
The rescue mission begins
British divers Stanton and Volanthen found the children alive,
but they returned for supplies and wetsuits to plan
the salvage. On July 8, the authorities announced the start of the operation.
rescue. An international contingent made up of 18 divers entered
in the cave with the aim of returning accompanied by the minors.
18 divers were part of the team in the final rescue
A huge amount of water drained
Some 243 million liters of water were pumped out of the flooded cave
before the first six children were rescued on July 8. I would be
equivalent to placing on the pitch of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium
a pool 34 meters deep and a capacity
of 242,760 m3 of water.
June 23
Boys
remain trapped
June 24
The authorities
start the search
June 25th
They are footprints
inside the cave
June 26th
pumps are installed
water extractors
June 27th
british divers
join the search
1st of July
The teams
reach ‘beach
Pattaya’
July 2nd
the twelve schoolchildren
and his tutor are
found alive
July 6th
dies a
rescuer who
he was carrying supplies
July 7th
The kids write
letters to relatives
the rescue begins
British divers Stanton and Volanthen
They found the children alive, but
they returned for provisions and suits
of neoprene to plan the rescue.
On July 8, the authorities announced
the start of the rescue operation.
An international contingent formed
by 18 divers entered the cavern
with the aim of returning accompanied
for minors.
18 divers entered the complex
a huge amount
of drained water
Some 243 million were pumped
of liters of water from the flooded cave
before the first six children
They were rescued on July 8. I would be
equivalent to placing on the ground
game of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium
a 34 meter deep pool
and a capacity of 242,760 m3 of water.
Depth from the surface: between 800 and 1,000 meters
The Ocean Reef company sent children’s custom-made diving face masks from Italy
They were put on a neoprene suit to alleviate the low temperature of the water
Throughout the network of tunnels, every 25 meters, they placed bottles with a level of 80% pure oxygen.
Platform
where children
and his coach
got trapped
after the flood
Distance from the boys
to the entrance of the cave: 4 km
Note: The terrain shown
it is schematic and not to scale
In addition to avoiding narrow galleries and swimming with low visibility due to the turbidity of the water, the divers had to fight against the current before reaching several chambers free from the flood.
In each of the 13 underwater rescues carried out between July 8 and 10, more than five hours were invested to return to the entrance of the cave.
During the tour, the children were anesthetized with ketamine to facilitate their rescue and avoid possible panic attacks.
Some passage in the cave was about 70 centimeters wide and about 40 in height
flooded cave sections
140 m total underwater travel
Of the four kilometers they had to travel to the exit of the cave, 350 meters were in water, and 40% of them submerged
In the final section, each child was elevated through a system of pulleys.
Collapsible plastic military stretchers made it easy to move each person out of the water and into areas of rugged cavernous terrain.
The porosity of the limestone that makes up the mountain caused its internal network to be flooded in less than an hour
At the end of the operation, the main extraction pump located in chamber 3 burst, causing a significant rise in the water level in just a few minutes.
Cenital plane
of the tour
An international contingent of 10,000 volunteers from 100 different government agencies participated in the search and rescue efforts for the boys.
Now safe, the 13 rescued received medical assistance. They had lost an average of two kilos after spending 18 days inside the cave. Some of the children suffered from mild pneumonia and symptoms of hypothermia, but none of them had serious health problems.
Months later, it was discovered that, in order to face the underwater rescue, the divers had to sedate and tie each of the children, thus avoiding accidents and unforeseen events during the transfer back abroad. The irregular surface of the cave, which in its flooded part offered zero visibility and strong currents against it, had taken the life of Saman Kunam, a 38-year-old Thai diver, a few days before the end of the rescue.
The anniversary of the feat was marred in 2023 by the fateful loss of one of the protagonists of the story, whose body was found at his home in Leicestershire, United Kingdom. The 17-year-old striker, nicknamed ‘Dom’, had won a scholarship to the Brooke House Football Academy, a popular training center for young stars like Genk striker Kelvin John.
sad news
Duangpetch Promthep, known as ‘Dom’, the captain
of the ‘Wild Boars’, died of a brain injury in February
2023 in the UK, where I was studying at an academy
football in Leicestershire.
Brother you told me we would make it
our football dream you are one of the people
that pushes me and makes me want to improve to your level.
Sleep well, my dear friend. We will always be 13 together
Prachak Sutham
Teammate and rescued from the cave
sad news
Duangpetch Promthep, known
as ‘Dom’, the captain of the ‘Wild Boars’,
died due to brain injury
in February 2023 in the UK,
where I was studying in a
football academy in Leicestershire.
brother you told me
that we would achieve our dream
football. you are one of the people
that pushes me and makes me want
improve to your level. Sleep well,
my dear friend. Always
we will be 13 together
Prachak Sutham
Teammate
and rescued from the cave
During his funeral in Thailand, ten soccer balls with messages of condolences from his former teammates floated in the Mekong River and at the Buddhist temple Wat Phra That Doi Wao, just 10 kilometers from the cave of 13 lives, students from his old school offered the shirt of the talented player of the ‘Wild Boars’.
Infographic and illustration:
Miguel Angel Fernandez
Editorial coordination:
Javier Silles
Coordination of specials:
Mariano Tovar
Web development and design:
Rodrigo Ludgero – Darío González
Sources consulted:
reuters – channelnewsasia.com – scmp.com – nytimes.com –
Thirteen Lessons that Saved Thirteen Lives: The Inside Story of the Thai Cave Rescue – lavanguardia.com – El País –
National Geographic Documentary Films – Google Earth – Sasidis Sasisakulporn/Netflix – De Warrenne Films – Getty and own elaboration.
Infographic and illustration:
Miguel Angel Fernandez
Editorial coordination:
Javier Silles
Coordination of specials:
Mariano Tovar
Web development and design:
Rodrigo Ludgero – Darío González
Sources consulted:
reuters – channelnewsasia.com – scmp.com –
nytimes.com – Thirteen Lessons that
Saved Thirteen Lives: The Inside Story
of the Thai Cave Rescue – lavanguardia.com –
The Country – National Geographic
Documentary Films – Google Earth –
Sasidis Sasisakulporn/Netflix –
From Warren Films –
Getty and own elaboration.