Missing Thai soccer boys and coach are found alive in cave, EVERYONE is out of the cave!

[Pea-n-Me]

ABC Niteline update:

A Thai health official just gave a press conference:

He says 2 of the 8 boys rescued & in the hospital have lung infections.

All 8 are being evaluated for physical & mental well-being. They are in good spirits.

4 of the boys are able to eat regular food, but nothing spicy.

They will all have to spend about 7 days in the hospital. However, he noted their immune system seems to have been boosted by playing soccer all those years.

Not surprised - probably pneumonia, at least. It must've been so hard for them wearing the masks, perhaps coughing, and being afraid underwater, etc. I look forward to hearing their first hand accounts someday.

Still an ABC Update (by Matt Guttman)

What the divers have had to navigate at every foray into the cave:

Reduced visibility inside the dark cave and under murky water.

A water current so strong it has ripped the masks right off the divers faces.

Narrow passages, some as tight as 15 inches. Walls as sharp as broken glass. They have to scoot on their butt or crawl through passages and under water.

The divers have often have to haul the boys through the tunnels, which is exhausting, while also wearing 30-60 lbs of scuba gear. (That also doesn't include their 6 hour journey into the end of the cave to the boys.)

One of the reasons they can't bring all the boys out at once is they are actually a huge support team of about 100 divers. They ALL go through the stockpiled oxygen in one day & then it has to be restocked in the cave for them the next day. The support team works as a long human relay from the end of the cave to the opening for the two rescue divers with the boys.

And it is so arduous getting each boy out, the divers need a rest.

(The Thai official said the first day that there are only 5 Thai rescue SEAL divers. (not the support team.) The other 13 rescue Seal divers are a team of international divers.) I think a Thai diver HAS to go with each boy as he may be the only one who speaks Thai. Plus, if something does happen to a boy, the Thai government probably wants to make sure one of their own divers was with him.

What a testament to human survival and endurance! This will motivate people who also find themselves in dire circumstances for a long time to come!

 

[Imzadi]

If you guys get word that ALL the boys are out, list your news source(s) and PLEASE list "credible" news sources. I say "credible" loosely as all the ones we generally think of as credible have been wrong during this. No Acme Gazette, please. Let's try to get multiple confirmed sources before we celebrate.

 

[robinb]

I just read that the last person out will be more difficult and they will need 3 accompanying divers.

It’s been about an hour since #11 came out. We should see #12 soon.

 

[CarolAnn856]

Not surprised - probably pneumonia, at least. It must've been so hard for them wearing the masks, perhaps coughing, and being afraid underwater, etc. I look forward to hearing their first hand accounts someday.

The big concern with a lung infection is that, being in the cave for so long, they may have picked up cavers disease or another fungal or bacterial infection from bat droppings, etc.

 

[JaxDad]

What a testament to human survival and endurance! This will motivate people who also find themselves in dire circumstances for a long time to come!

Yes! And hopefully motivate people to not go into caves without an experienced guide!

We recently did a "wild" cave tour with a guide in Chattanooga. It was a great time, but an inexperienced person could easily get stuck or lost. Add potential flooding and it's even worse!

 

[lovin'fl]

CBS Special Report on TV just confirmed all 13 rescued. Yay!!!

 

[elphaba91]

The channel 10 news in Australia (a reputable source) has also reported they're all free!

They also just said that they gave them all anti-anxiety medication before their rescues.

 

[lovin'fl]

Happy day!!! Now to wait for word on their medical conditions.

 

[robinb]

I have not seen any confirmation but I’m not near a TV. I read there is still a doctor and 3 Navy SEALS left in the cave. I hope they can get out quickly.

 

[elphaba91]

There are also several divers and a doctor to come out. The doctor is from Adelaide and apparently he has done the dive in everyday, assessed the boys and stayed until that day's rescues are complete.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

The big concern with a lung infection is that, being in the cave for so long, they may have picked up cavers disease or another fungal or bacterial infection from bat droppings, etc.

Yes. But that won't be known for a while, some of the testing for rare or unusual diseases is often send-out and can take a while to come back. I'm sure infectious disease teams are working overtime with this group.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Yes! And hopefully motivate people to not go into caves without an experienced guide!

We recently did a "wild" cave tour with a guide in Chattanooga. It was a great time, but an inexperienced person could easily get stuck or lost. Add potential flooding and it's even worse!

Yeah, no way!

Yes, yesterday I saw this story about a woman who also survived being trapped in a cave in Thailand after her fiancé and fellow travelers were killed when the water rushed in. She was trapped for less than a day, and yet still had serious medical complications from whatever was in the water (Weil’s disease, a form of leptospirosis I believe?) https://www.myjoyonline.com/opinion...itish-survivor-of-past-thai-cave-disaster.php

This story yesterday was absolutely terrifying! I was so sad for her. But glad she's ok now.

 

[JaxDad]

Yeah, no way!

One part of the tour had us go through the "The Pancake Squeeze" and "The Birth Canal." My teen son was ahead of me and had some trouble keeping moving at one point because of the tightness of the space and the slippery mud, and the young woman behind me definitely started freaking a little.

 

[CarolAnn856]

Yes. But that won't be known for a while, some of the testing for rare or unusual diseases is often send-out and can take a while to come back. I'm sure infectious disease teams are working overtime with this group.

Definitely! And I would imagine that they are being offered expertise from around the world.

 

[lovin'fl]

One part of the tour had us go through the "The Pancake Squeeze" and "The Birth Canal." My teen son was ahead of me and had some trouble keeping moving at one point because of the tightness of the space and the slippery mud, and the young woman behind me definitely started freaking a little.

Yup...no way in heck will I ever go in a cave past seeing the outside daylight...nope nope nope. One of my DDs would love that but aint gonna happen with mama.

 

[robinb]

My DH is a caver. I have gone into wild caves with him, but always with a group and always with the permission of the land owner. It's pretty cool, but it's not anything I will drop everything to do again.

I read today that the coach did not bring the kids into the cave. The kids went in themselves and the coach went in to get them.

 

[Imzadi]

I wonder if the Thai authorities will have the cave entrance sealed so no one else can go in. Now that this cave is internationally known, there will be some idiots who will want to take a tour, get lost, trip & fall, etc. No way do the Thai authorities want to do another rescue.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Definitely! And I would imagine that they are being offered expertise from around the world.

Maybe. It probably depends on the hospital and network they're in, whether they're associated with a major medical school where experts are already in-house, etc. Sometimes things can get very muddied (pun intended!) when there are too many differing opinions! But if assistance is needed, I'm sure there will be many willing to help.

 

[cabanafrau]

There are also several divers and a doctor to come out. The doctor is from Adelaide and apparently he has done the dive in everyday, assessed the boys and stayed until that day's rescues are complete.

It's absolutely wonderful the boys and the coach are out, but we need all of these heroic rescuers out to breathe a full sigh of relief. I feel for the family of the Navy seal who gave his life to these efforts.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

It's interesting that they gave these boys anti-anxiety medication prior to their treks out. They must've really felt it was needed. I'm curious to hear what they gave them, and what the dosage was. (I am going to guess Ativan .5mg.)