Boys and football coach in Thai cave are medically stable

TWELVE boys and their football coach were found in a partially flooded cave in northern Thailand on Monday after being missing for nine days. They are all alive.

Video released by the Thai navy showed the boys sitting in a dry area inside the cave. Narongsak Osatanakorn, governor of the local Chiang Rai region, says that none of the group is in a critical condition, but some might have injuries.

The group was trapped by flooding on 23 June. They were found by a team of divers, and in the navy video the boys talk about not having had anything to eat. Osatanakorn says they have now been given high-protein liquid food and painkillers, plus antibiotics as a preventative measure.

Thailand’s rainy season usually lasts until October. It may be safer for the group to remain in the cave until then. “Trying to take non-divers through a cave is one of the most dangerous situations possible, even if the dives are relatively easy,” says Anmar Mirza, a US cave rescue expert.

This article appeared in print under the headline “Lost boys found alive in Thai cave”