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Divers are preparing an operation to save the 12 boys trapped inside a flooded cave in Thailand within the coming days as heavy rain began falling on Saturday night, increasing the prospect that workers may be forced to launch the rescue effort sooner than planned.
The provincial governor, Narongsak Osatanakorn, had claimed the situation in the cave was “the best yet” even though authorities were “at war with water and time”.
However, weather conditions in the area began to deteriorate at 10pm local time and could now trigger an earlier evacuation in case further flooding makes any operation too dangerous.
“The plan that I’ve held on to from the beginning is that we have to bring the kids out and the determining factor of this plan is to have as little water as possible,” said Mr Narongsak.
“If it rains and adds to it again, we don’t know what other risk factors we will have to face”.
It was hoped that a rescue attempt would be made on Friday night but Mr Narongsak said it was not suitable as the boys “still cannot dive”.
The boys would ideally need at least two weeks of intensive training to safely swim out, according to Ben Reymenants, a diver who was involved in early rescue efforts.
“They don’t have that luxury,” Mr Reymenants told The Independent .
He said it took around four hours for experienced divers to reach the football team from the rescue camp inside chamber three of the cave.
It involves swimming 2.5km (1.5 miles) against a strong current through dark, narrow two-foot-wide passages with near-zero visibility due to muddy water.
Fortunately, the journey back is quicker and smoother because it is going with the flow.
Oxygen tanks, guidelines and lights have been placed along the route to make it easier to navigate.
“It is muddy but conditions are still favourable,” said Mr Reymenants.
On Saturday afternoon, Royal Thai Army soldiers said they had been told by superiors that the operation would likely begin Sunday or Monday.
The security cordon around the cave has increased, with plastic sheets draped around the approach, increasing speculation that a rescue might be imminent.
Other potential rescue options include stocking the cave with enough supplies and oxygen to keep them alive until the monsoon ends in three or four months, or drilling a shaft down from the forest above.
Elon Musk, the SpaceX and Tesla boss, has suggested feeding a small nylon tube through the cave network and inflating it with air to allow the children to walk out.
Divers remain hopeful the rescue mission will succeed, despite the death of former navy Seal diver Saman Gunan on Thursday.
Thailand cave rescue operation: in picturesShow all 100 1 /100Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures The 12 boys and their coach in the cave
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures A rescue team stands in the entrance to the cave
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures A relative shows a picture of the boys after they were found on 2 July
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Thai military inside the cave complex
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures The 12 boys and their soccer coach who were rescued from a flooded cave arrive for a news conference in the northern province of Chiang Rai, Thailand,
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures The boys and their soccer coach rescued from a flooded cave play soccer
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures The young footballers and their coach appeared healthy when they appeared before the media for the first time since the rescue
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Coach Ekapol Chantawong
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures The 12 rescued members of the Wild Boar soccer team are greeted by their classmates on a mini soccer pitch
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Rescued Thai football coach Ekkapol Chantawong together with 12 children pays tribute to Thai navy diver, Samarn Kunan, who died whilst attempting to rescue the boys
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Twelve young footballers and their coach rescued from a Thai caves being treated in hospital
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Rescued soccer team members posing with a sketch of the Thai Navy SEAL diver who died while trying to rescue them
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Players writing messages on a drawing of former Navy SEAL diver Saman Kunan who died during attempts to rescue them
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Rescued "Wild Boars" football team members (top row L to R) Adul Sam-on, 14, Ekkarat Wongsukchan, 14, Phipat Photi, 15, Chanin Wiboonrungrueang, 11, (middle row L to R) Pornchai Khamluang, 16, Duangphet Promthep, 13, Peerapat Sompiengjai, 16, Sompong Jaiwong, 13, (bottom row L to R) Mongkol Boonpiem, 13, Prachak Sutham, 14, Nutthawut Thakamsong, 14, and Phanumas Saengdee, 13, recovering at the hospital in Chiang Rai province
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures The life vest belonging to Duangpetch Promthep, the rescued captain of the "Wild Boars",
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Divers from the rescue mission, from left to right: Chris Jewell, Mike Clayton, Rick Stanton, Lance-corporal Connor Rae, Josh Bratchley, Gary Mitchell and Jim Way who helped to save 12 schoolboys and their football coach from a flooded cave in Thailand, speak to media after arriving back at London's Heathrow Airport
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Volunteers gather for a ceremony before the clean up operation at the Tham Luang cave
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures The last four Thai Navy SEALs come out safely after completing the rescue mission inside a cave where 12 boys and their soccer coach have been trapped since June 23, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, northern Thailand. Thailand's navy SEALs say all 12 boys and their soccer coach have been rescued from a flooded cave in far northern Thailand, ending an ordeal that lasted more than two weeks.
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures People celebrate
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures A woman lifts her child near the hospital, seen at left, as ambulance transporting members of the children's football team arrives
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Volunteers react after hearing all boys were rescued
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Rescue personnel work at the Tham Luang cave
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Rescue personnel work at the Tham Luang cave
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Onlookers at the junction in front of Chiangrai Prachanukroh Hospital watch and cheer
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Journalists celebrate after a news conferenc
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures An ambulance, reportedly carrying members of the rescued football team, arrives at a hospital
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Thai Navy divers in the Tham Luang cave
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Rescue personnel work at the Tham Luang cave
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Thai media listen Chiang Rai province acting Gov. Narongsak Osatanakorn
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Police and military personnel use umbrellas to cover a stretcher near a helicopter and an ambulance at a military airport in Chiang Rai as rescue operations continue for those still trapped inside the cave in Khun Nam Nang Non Forest Park in the Mae Sai district. Four boys among the group of 13 trapped in a flooded Thai cave for more than a fortnight were rescued on July 8 after surviving a treacherous escape, raising hopes elite divers would also save the others soon
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Thai military medical personnel walking inside a restricted area as preparations are made to transport rescued boys from Tham Luang cave to a hospital
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Thai authorities placing a rescued boy in an ambulance
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Paramedics, believed to be carrying a boy who has been evacuated after being trapped inside a flooded cave, approach a helicopter in Chiang Rai
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures This frame grab from video tweeted by Elon Musk shows a "tiny kid-sized submarine" being tested in a pool at Palisades Charter High School, in California. Musk's Space X rocket company tested the submarine that could potentially help rescue the remaining children and their coach trapped in a flooded cave in Thailand.
Elon Musk via AP
Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Thai military personnel preparing to move the boys to a hospital
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Emergency workers carrying one of the boys rescued from the cave
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures A Thai nurse walks past an ambulance at a covered area of the Chiangrai Prachanukroh Hospital
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Indian schoolchildren hold placards and pictures during a prayer event for the safe rescue of young football players and their coach
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures An ambulance exits from the Tham Luang cave area
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures A military helicopter carrying rescued schoolboys approaches to land at a military airport in Chiang Rai.
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures A group of volunteers prepare to leave in search of alternative entry points to the Tham Luang cave area
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Thai soldiers drag a water pipe to bypass water from the mountain and to not get back inside the cave
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Hundreds of rescuers with equipment continue the rescue operation
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Monks lead out family members of the boys from the cave site after a morning prayer
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Thai rescue workers take a break
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Water pumps push water out of the cave
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Relatives, of the 12 schoolboys and their soccer coach trapped inside a flooded cave in the Tham Luang cave complex cook, for rescue workers and volunteers near the cave complex
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Rescue teams carry water pipes to the entrance of cave complex
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Thai soldiers and police officers are seen as rescue operations continue for the 12 boys and their football team coach trapped in Tham Luang cave at Khun Nam Nang Non Forest Park in the Mae Sai district of Chiang Rai province on July 7, 2018. More than 100 chimneys are being drilled into the mountainside in a frantic bid to reach a Thai youth football team trapped in a cave complex below, the head of the rescue mission said on July 7
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Family members pray in front of a Buddhist statue near a cave where 12 boys and their soccer coach have been trapped since June 23, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand Saturday, July 7, 2018. The soccer coach trapped in a cave with 12 Thai boys apologized to their parents in the first letter he and the team have sent out through divers, in which the boys say they're doing well and missing their families
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Thai military inside the cave complex
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Australian Federal Police and Defense Force personnel talk with a Thai diver
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures A rescuer prepares a light for diving to reach the 12 boys and their soccer coach
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Soliders are seen near the Tham Luang cave complex, where 12 schoolboys and their soccer coach are trapped inside a flooded cave, in the northern province of Chiang Rai, Thailand
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Water is pumped from a flooded cave
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Thai rescuers rest during the ongoing rescue operation
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Thai military personnel inside a cave complex
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Rescue teams assemble at the entrance to the Tham Luang cave complex
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Thai Navy soldiers in the flooded Tham Luang cave during rescue operations
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Local Thai National Park Rescuers relax at base camp
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Journalists work near Tham Luang cave complex
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures A Thai policeman guards an area under rainfall
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures A Thai policeman guards an area under rainfall near the Tham Luang cave
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures
Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Divers gather before they enter to the Tham Luang cave, where 12 boys and their soccer coach are trapped, in the northern province of Chiang Rai, Thailand
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Thai military bring water pumps to the cave. Videos released by the Thai Navy SEAL shows that the boys, aged 11 to 16, and their 25-year-old coach are in good health in Tham Luang Nang Non cave and the challenge now will be to extract the party safely.
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures An honour guard holds up a picture of Samarn Kunan, 38, a former member of Thailand's elite navy SEAL unit who died working to save 12 boys and their soccer coach trapped inside a flooded cave, at an airport in Rayong province
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Military personnel are seen in front of the Tham Luang cave
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures The former navy SEAL diver, Saman Kunan, who died trying to help save the trapped boys
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Rescue workers convene behind a large pile of oxygen tanks
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures A Buddhist monk leads military honor guards carrying a flag-draped coffin containing former Thai Navy Seal Petty Officer 1st class Saman Kunan, who died in the ongoing Tham Luang cave rescue operations, during a repatriation ceremony at Mae Fah Luang international airport.
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Thai students pray for the ongoing rescue operations
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Thai soldiers and police officers pay their respects as a Thai Navy plane carrying the body of Saman Kunan takes off
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Rescue workers prepare frogsuits for soldiers
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures The diver's death raises serious doubts over the safety of attempting to bring the 12 boys and their football coach out through the cramped, waterlogged passageways of the Tham Luang cave.
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Family members pray before a shrine in Tham Luang cave area
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures A family member prays before a shrine in Tham Luang cave area
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Thai rescue teams use headlamps to enter a pitch-black cave complex where 12 boys and their soccer coach went missing, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, northern Thailand, Monday, July 2, 2018. The group was discovered late July 2 after 10 days totally cut off from the outside world, and while they are for the most physically healthy, experts say the ordeal has likely taken a mental toll that could worsen the longer the situation lasts.
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures The mother of a trapped child reacts during the ongoing rescue operations
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Family members pray before a shrine in Tham Luang cave area
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Grandmother Kham-aoey Promthep, 64, shows a photograph of her grandson, Duangpetch Promthep, who is one of 13 members
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures A Thai student shows an image of her classmate Panumas Sangdee, who is one of 13 members of a soccer team trapped
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Buddhist monk Kruba Boonchum visits the site to perform religious rituals
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha visits the site
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures British cave-divers (from left to right) Richard William Stanton, Robert Charles Harper and John Volanthen join the rescue effort
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Divers prepare for the rescue mission
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures A rescuer enters the cave
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures The father of one of the missing boys thanks soldiers after the boys are found
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Relatives celebrate after they hear that the boys have been found
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Relatives pray after they hear that the boys have been found
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Relatives celebrate after they hear that the boys have been found
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures General Bancha Duriyaphan announces the news to the press
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures With the rescue mission still ongoing, Thai soldiers carry equipment into the cave
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures With the rescue mission still ongoing, Thai soldiers carry equipment into the cave
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Thailand cave rescue operation: in pictures Water is being pumped out of the flooded cave complex in an effort to make the rescue easier
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The 12 boys – aged between 11 and 16 – and their 25-year-old coach were exploring the cave when they became trapped by flash flood waters on 23 June.
Specially-trained divers reached them on Monday and Thai navy Seals have released a photo of a note from the coach to the parents apologising for their ordeal .
Ekkapol Chantawong wrote: “To the parents of all the kids, right now the kids are all fine, the crew are taking good care. I promise I will care for the kids as best as possible. I want to say thanks for all the support and I want to apologise to the parents.”
The mother of 14-year-old Nattawut Takamsai wrote in return: ”We want you to know that no parents are angry with you at all, so don’t you worry about that.”
Her letter also told the children: “We are not mad at you at all. Do take good care of yourself. Don’t forget to cover yourself with blankets as the weather is cold. We’re worried. You will come out soon.”
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