For over two weeks, a dozen Thai soccer players and their coach were stuck in a flooded cave, often in complete darkness, fearing for their lives. Rescue efforts were failing, and hope was fading, but due to the bravery of first responders including Thailand’s navy SEALs and good fortune from a lack of inclement weather, the boys were eventually rescued according to The Guardian .
Now, the very fortunate soccer players and their coach are recovering in hospital according to The New York Post , and are very anxious to be released next week so that they can finally indulge in their very favorite meals. During a news conference Saturday, the rescued young men appeared to be well on the mend, sitting up in their hospital bunks and thanking their rescuers effusively. First and foremost on their mind, however, was getting to enjoy some fried rice with pork.
“I want to have crispy pork rice and barbecue pork rice,” Pipat Photi, 15, said during the short film.
“I want pork knuckle rice,” said another boy in recovery. “Thank you for all the moral support.”
Unfortunately due to their prolonged period inside the damp and dark cave tunnel, many of the boys had lost a substantial amount of weight given their young ages, with some of the soccer players having lost as much as 11 pounds. While recovering in the hospital, most of the flood victims had regained some of that weight. In addition to the severe weight loss and dehydration, many of the young men had also contracted pneumonia, but by the time of publication, most had recovered from their illness according to Thai Health Minister Piyasakol Sakolsatayadorn.
The health minister believes that the boys will be released from the hospital this coming Thursday, then being able to go home to rejoin their families.
The young boys, ages 11 through to 16, and their coach had plans to explore the complex cave system for an hour or so following a soccer practice the team had engaged in on June 23. Almost immediately after they entered the caverns, a torrential seasonal downpour flooded the systems behind them, trapping them deep within the caves.
Two British divers successfully located the lost teammates on July 2, but given the fact that the caves were largely flooded and the boys panicked and afraid, escape was to be no easy task. Eventually, through the collective effort of hundreds of rescue workers and many more across the world, pumping water, creating forward operating bases in sequential stages throughout the cave system, and devising a means of calming and transporting the children and their coach, the team was rescued on Tuesday, July 10.
One heroic man gave his life to save the children in his rescue effort according to Reuters , former Thai navy SEAL Samarn Kunan, who left behind a loving wife.
“I miss you,” she added. “I love you like you are my very heart…from now on when I wake up…who will I kiss?” she captioned a black and white photo of her husband on Instagram.
The fallen man’s wife reiterated that the boys should not blame themselves for his passing.
“I want to tell the boys, please don’t blame yourselves,” Valeepoan told reporters on scene.
