Thailand: Boys' soccer team found alive in cave on Day 10; yet to be rescued

Bangkok, July 3: While football continued to entertain the world from Russia where the 21st edition of the Fifa World Cup is underway, a squad of young Thai footballers and their coach were striving hard to survive after getting trapped inside the flooded Tham Luang Nang Non cave in the Southeast Asian country for 10 long days.

Twelve boys, aged between 11 and 16, along with their 25-year-old coach, though survived the ordeal but were still not out of it as the rescue workers were working overtime to bring them out safely through narrow passages and dark waters, authorities of Thailand's Chiang Rai province said on Tuesday, July 3.

According to a Reuters report, divers struggled through the narrow passage to discover the young footballers and their squad on Monday (July 2) night on a raised rock, located around four kilometres from the cave's mouth.

The rescuers took a video shot in dim torchlight which showed the boys in shorts and red and blue shirts on the rock. They remained there for 10 days and were called "brave" by the rescue personnel, the report added.

Two British divers, highly experienced in case rescue act, reached the stranded squad first, Bill Whitehouse, vice chairman of the British Cave Rescue Council, said, according to Reuters.

An Australian cave diving expert, however, warned that the team might remain stranded inside the cave for months because of the prevailing challenges, said a report in News.com.au. It said the Thai Navy will teach the team members how to dive, in order to save them from a complicated position.

Food for four months has been gathered at the scene to support the stranded group.

Peter Wolf, national director of Cave Divers Association of Australia said the boys would not be able to escape soon since they are unable to swim, Guardian reported.

Top sources in Thailand Army also said the boys must learn how to dive or else they would remain stranded till the water level recedes.