The evacuation of 12 schoolboys trapped in a flooded cave in Thailand has begun and they could be out by tonight, the rescue commander announced this morning.
An extraction team of 18 international divers started their ‘extremely dangerous’ operation at 10am local time after the boys’ anxious families were informed.
All of the youngsters and their 25-year-old coach are expected to emerge one by one from the cave as early as 9pm if everything goes to plan, Governor Narongsak told reporters on Sunday morning.
Each boy will be accompanied by two divers on the perilous 4km (2.5miles) journey through murky waters and narrow tunnels. It’s understood they will be able to walk most of the way after teams drained the water level by 30cm (12ins) last night.
‘Today is D-Day,’ the governor who has led the rescue announced. ‘The water level has reached the lowest it has been in ten days. We ask to pray that this operation is a success.
‘The boys are physically and mentally fit to come out. All of the families have been told about today’s operation.’
The idea of inserting an inflatable nylon tube into the cave system to create an underwater tunnel for the trapped boys to crawl out of is being tested near the caves.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk mooted the idea on Friday as a possible solution to bring the boys, who can’t swim, to safety without having to be in the water.
Thai rescuers were pictured with the inflatable tube near the cave system as the rescue mission got underway today.
Thai military personnel inside a cave complex during the ongoing rescue operations for…
… Read More
—-
Click Read More to read the rest of the story from our content source/partners – Urban Christian News