Thailand cave rescue: mission impossible to mission spectacular

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They had been trapped in a cave deep underground for several days and many doubted if they would survive. But they did.

The 12 members of a Thai youth football team and their coach who went missing for days survived by meditating, moving to higher ground, and drinking water that dripped from stalactites.

Soon, efforts to find the missing boys captured regional and global attention and their rescue became a race against time. The odds were stacked against them. At one time, the task of bringing them all back alive seemed impossible.

CGTN correspondent Tony Cheng was the first foreign reporter on the scene, and followed the rescue through to the end.

He obtained exclusive interviews with the aunt of coach Ekkapong Chantawong (or ‘Ake’), both during the search and after the rescue operations.

Exclusive interviews with coach Ake's aunt

Tam Chantawong said she did not believe that the coach and the boys planned to go deep inside the cave as they left their bags and phones outside.

A bicycle, football boots and backpack belonging to one of the boys sit outside the cave. /CGTN Photo

“The bicycles were parked outside the caves without locks. Bicycles and phones are their most precious belongings,” Tam noted.

Responding to criticism as to why ‘Ake’ was in charge, Tam noted that this was not unusual within their community.

“Sometimes parents rely on the coach to take the boys to see the doctor if one of them fall sick. If they are busy they will also ask ‘Ake’ to take their children home,” Tam said.

Tim Acton’s revelations

Speaking to CGTN, British diver Tim Acton said that the death of diver Saman Gunan had an effect on the rescue team as they struggled to pull off the most daring cave rescue ever attempted.

Rescuers attempt to pump water out of the cave. /CGTN Photo

When the former Thai Navy SEAL died from lack of oxygen while placing air tanks inside the cave, “it hit home that the boys needed to come out very quickly,” Acton recalled.

Acton said even though he has dived professionally all over the world, the one at Tham Luang is one of the hardest he has ever seen.

Apart from the current, there was zero visibility.

There was also the worry that adult-sized masks would not fit the youngest boy who was 11 years old.

Vern Unsworth

Before the Thai rescue operation, British diver Vern Unsworth was involved in a number of rescue efforts in the UK.

Instrumental in planning the mission, Unsworth first raised the alarm about the boys being trapped and informed the global diving community.

He ventured into the caves alone and emerged a few hours later with cuts and bruises, which alarmed many villagers.

The CGTN graphic shows how the boys entered deep into the cave in search of higher ground after water filled the lower-lying areas. /CGTN Photo

Speaking to CGTN when the boys were still trapped, Unsworth was mindful about the challenges faced by the rescuers.

Describing the situation then as “hostile” and “unpleasant” due to large amount of water coming into the cave, Unsworth also noted that the boys’ survival depended on where they were.

After the boys were rescued, Unsworth slipped away quietly.

Without him, it was almost certain the boys of the Wild Boars football club would never live to play another match.