Trapped soccer team will face death soon to escape cavern

A group of 12 boys and their 25-year-old soccer coach will soon confront death as conditions in their cavern sanctuary deteriorate. Officials may soon be forced to order a hazardous escape attempt. One experienced diver has died working in the cavern to rescue the boys. 

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Rescuers work to drain water and make the cave more accessible in an effort to rescue the soccer team.

Highlights

By Marshall Connolly (Catholic Online)
Catholic Online (https://www.catholic.org)
7/6/2018 (5 years ago)

Published in Asia Pacific

Keywords: Thailand, Tham Luang, cave, soccer team

LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) - Officials are worried that heavy rains will soon flood the cavern complex in Thailand where 12 boys and their coach are trapped. A daring and dangerous rescue attempt may be ordered soon. 

On June 23, the boys, aged 11-16, from a local soccer organization, went into the cave with their 25-year-old assistant coach. Rains caused the cave to flood while the team was exploring the cave. It is believed a torrent of water swept them deep into the cavern. The group somehow managed to find sanctuary on a relatively flat, high area in the cave.

Search and rescue operations began immediately, but the conditions in the cave were so hazardous that it took several days to summon expert divers to aid the search. On July 2, British cave-diving search and rescue experts found the team on their ledge about 2.5 miles in the cave. 

After a week in the darkness, the team was starving but otherwise in good health. Doctors made their way to the team, a journey that takes about five hours. Food, emergency supplies, and a toilet were delivered.

With the team's condition stable, officials have grappled with rescue options. More than 1,000 people from several countries are assisting. 

The problem is water. The cave is known to fill with water during the rainy season, which is underway. The cave is normally off-limits and a sign is posted to warn would be explorers during this season. 

As part of the rescue effort, pumps are being used to reduce the water level in the cave. Explosives have also been used to make the cave more passable. However, efforts are progressing slowly. Rains are forecast soon, and these rains could flood the cave forcing officials to order an escape attempt. 

The children remain weak and several cannot swim.

On Friday, a 38-year old former Thai Navy SEAL died in the cave while delivering oxygen to the team. The diver ran out of oxygen and could not be revived. Officials are reluctant to order the children to swim out of the cave which is treacherous for even experienced divers. 

In the meantime, explorers are canvassing the area around the cave to see if they can find another exit. Drilling into the cave would take far too long to be practical. 

Officials have considered waiting until October, sustaining the children in the cave for the next three-to-four months when the dry season returns and the cave can be pumped dry. However, experts do not think this is feasible since they can barely manage water levels during the present dry spell. 

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The most likely next step will be to train the boys to swim and to outfit them with oxygen tanks and face masks. Several passages are narrow and the boys will have to swim underwater on their own. But rescuers could be staged with tanks and if the boys do not panic, they could possibly survive the attempt.

Some of the children remain weak and the current in the water is strong. At present, it takes experienced divers five hours to reach the team, and six hours to return to the entrance. 

As officials grapple with this dilemma, oxygen levels are dropping in the cave due to all the activity. Oxygen levels are reported to be below 21 percent. When levels drop, heart rate and fatigue increase. Rescuers are working to install an oxygen line that can pump their chamber with fresh air. They are also laying a fiber-optic cable alongside the oxygen line so the kids can speak with their families. 

There is one final possibility, although it seems outlandish. Elon Musk has sent engineers to Thailand to evaluate the possibility of creating a nylon tube that can be inserted into the cave and inflated. They boys could then crawl through the tube to safety. It is unclear how long such an effort would take to prepare. 

But if the coming rains threaten to overwhelm pumping efforts, officials may have no choice but to gamble the lives of the children and ask them to swim out on their own, one-by-one. It is not expected that all will be able to make the journey to safety. 

Officials have mentioned that the assistant coach, who is believed to have led the kids into the cavern, may face charges. 

The world continues to pray for these children and their families.