Thai Cave Rescue: Rescued boys speak of 'miracle' after hospital discharge

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02:38

The 12 boys and their soccer coach rescued from a flooded cave in Thailand recounted details of their ordeal on Wednesday, at their first public appearance after being discharged from the hospital. Our correspondent Martin Lowe has more.

This is the moment well-wishers around the world had been waiting for, Thailand's rescued soccer boys: out of their flooded cave, out of hospital - and finally heading home!

But first a few words to those everywhere who've watched this dramatic event unfold, about their ordeal, their gratitude to the international team that worked for 18 days to save them – and their sadness that one man, former Thai navy seal Samarn Kunan, lost his life in the operation.

EKAPOL CHANWATONG THAI SOCCER TEAM COACH "We feel really sorry, he was very brave. When we heard he had died everyone was shocked. We couldn't believe it had happened, everybody was sad."

It's been revealed just how difficult it was to bring the boys out of the Tham Luang cave complex, through 4 kilometers of dark, tight, twisting, tunnels, flooded by monsoon rain.

One rescuer said they feared it couldn't be achieved without loss of life and as many as four or five of the 12 boys might die. The Thai government had granted immunity from prosecution if that happened, so they could freely go ahead with the attempt.

The boys - aged between 11 and 16 and their 25-year-old team coach - were first sedated to keep them calm, then given an oxygen supply, before being pulled, pushed and coaxed through tiny flooded chambers, each by two skilled divers – a nightmarish journey that took four to six hours for each one.

PORNCHAI KAMLUANG RESCUED BOY "While we were waiting we kept looking for a way out and looking for water to drink. We drank water that was dripping down the cave walls."

MARTIN LOWE CHIANG RAI "Almost a month after their ordeal began the boys can now finally go back to their homes and families. This was a rescue that captured the world's attention and as we now know succeeded against the odds."

Some of the boys, whose soccer team is called Wild Boars, have had treatment for pneumonia in hospital - but all are clearly in overall good health.

Their fame is likely to grow – plans are advanced for Hollywood to turn the rescue into a movie. Martin Lowe, CGTN, Chiang Rai.