The commander of the team attempting to rescue 12 boys and their soccer coach trapped in flooded cave in Thailand, Narongsak Osottanakorn, says that the biggest concern is making sure they have enough oxygen.
The biggest challenge faced by rescue teams to save 12 boys and their soccer coach trapped in a flooded cave in Thailand was making sure there was enough oxygen, the mission commander of the rescue operation said on Friday.
Speaking to journalists, Narongsak Osottanakorn said divers had brought more oxygen to the boys.
“I am scared of air, which is the biggest obstacle. Yesterday we brought in more of oxygen tubes and also oxygen tank for the boys. This will give them more air inside the cave,” he said.
Osottanakorn, who said the boys were not ready to attempt to leave the cave by diving in the waters surrounding them, said he has told their relatives they need to attempt the rescue with minimal risks.
“I talk to them [relatives] everyday – if they would like me to bring their kids out I said that it has to be at minimum risks. If it not enough risk for us we try to wait, but we cannot wait until the rain,” he said.
Rescue workers had tried to drill holes as deep as 400 metres in order to reach the spot where the boys found shelter from muddy waters, he said.
But drilling down raises concerns that parts of the cave could collapse on the boys. Efforts to widen diving channels have raised similar fears about blocking narrow passageways and hemming the team in.
Rescue efforts since British divers found the team on Monday have focused mainly on draining the flooded cave and teaching the boys – some of whom are as young as 11 and not competent swimmers – to attempt dives that would challenge expert cavers.
The death of a former Thai Navy SEAL working in the flooded cave has shaken the rescue mission, and forecasts for more rain could undermine the draining of the cave, forcing officials to consider other options.
Rescue teams thrashed through dense forest hundreds of metres above a cave complex on Friday, searching for an alternative way to extract the junior soccer team trapped inside for nearly two weeks.
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