10PM Update: Soccer Team still trapped in flooded cave, search suspended due to rising waters, believed still alive

[Oukiva]

Another BangkokPost article : Today Sunday 19:26 :

'Friendly' weather helps rescuers progress deeper into cave 

 

Video from ThaiTV6 on YouTube (in Thai language) :

Mainly pumps and lot of water... 

 

[forcebwithu]

They're now looking for instructor level dive volunteers to help move supplies to the chamber before where they think the children are holed up. Kind of surprised by this as I would think with all the dive teams from around the world they would already have enough experienced divers to handle the rescue logistics.

RTN S.E.A.L. #Thamluang urgently needs STRONG diving volunteers!!!!! (must be instructor level or above)

Before volunteering, carefully read the requirements and job descriptions detailed below. Competency is compulsory in this operation.

What you need to do: transport supplies of scuba tanks, food, drinking water, first aid kit, etc. from the Cave entrance to help set up the new S.E.AL. Rescue Base in Chamber No. 3, approximately 3km from the entrance.

You must be able to: know how to breathe through a regulator and pull yourself using the guide rope against cold (~ 20C) and strong current, in low visibility without panicking. You don't need to be a certified Cave diver, but you must be able to hike the steep slope with full gear and the said supplies (20-30 kg) for a few hundred meters.

You must bring your own diving equipment (fins not necessary) including an underwater torch with a burn time of at least 5 hours, and you should also bring your own helmet.

The passage is approximately 2-3 km long and you will be submerged for a distance of 10-15m at each flooded point. In addition, there is one very narrow channel where you will have to dismount your gear to continue. The last hike is up a 45 degrees slope that is slippery and muddy (see diagram).

If you think you are qualified, and will be not be a burden to the rescue operation, kindly contact K.Top 0875027414

The dive team at Tham Luang reserve the rights to choose applicants. You must be ready to mobilise ASAP and there is no travel and accommodation budget, but the locals are very kind and may provide free food and beverages!

Source: https://www.facebook.com/digitalay/?hc_ref=ARTUrp0c_HkjoOzceVL81JtwkMMbpkEOPXDHNr9KouoH77GtQ8aYfGr8FzcMMHBO8Rs&fref=nf

[Oukiva]

* Last news from chiangmaicitylife.com :

At 6.30pm Sunday, Thai Navy SEALS managed to get a further 600m into the Cave towards Pattaya Beach, the furthest so far. This time the SEALS, along with rescue teams and foreign teams including teams from the US, UK, China and Australia, are taking a more methodological approach, placing spare oxygen tanks ever 25m and setting up a permanent rope guide system.

According to a Khaosod English article, rescue divers cleared a key hurdle by pushing through the murky waters past the 3d large chamber, moving towards Pattaya Beach. The passageway is over 1km long and there is still some way to go before authorities make it to the other side where the group is expected to be.

At 6.50pm Sunday, Wing 41 helicopters return to the ground after carrying digging equipment onto the mountain where teams are working at digging through into the Cave from above. According to Chiang Rai Governor Narongsak Osatanakorn,“We surveyed all areas and there were reported to be about 20, and out of that there are about 10 with the possibility of having shafts. But at the moment, we have narrowed it down to two. Today we are working inside those two shafts.”

At 9.30pm Sunday, another 351 bottles of oxygen were delivered to the Cave, giving rescue teams a total of 415 bottles that are currently usable.

According to an article posted by Thai PBS at 10.19pm Sunday, Pope Francis of the Roman Catholic Church told a congregation at a religious ceremony held at St. Peter’s Basilica that he has prayed for the 12 missing teens and their coach who have been stuck in the Thai Cave for over a week.

At 11pm Sunday, Digitalay posted a request that any strong divers come to the Cave and help with the rescue efforts. // (see details in post above by Forcebwithu)

 

Today Monday 2nd July 2018

The teenagers and their coach have now been stuck inside the Cave for roughly 220 hours. 

 

* Another BangkokPost article : Today Monday 00:55 :

Rescue enters key phase. Race on to beat wet weather later in week

 

* NationMultimedia : Today 01:00 :

Joint govt, private sector efforts help ease floodwater situation in cave

 

Rescuers in race against time. Worries over forecast for rains; backup plans in place as teams seek ways to rescue, treat the stranded youths.

[Harry Brown]

Good info guys.

 

Let's hope they get a breakthrough today?

 

[Oukiva]

* Last news from chiangmaicitylife.com :

At 8am Monday, it was reported that the Thai Navy SEALS have navigated another 400m into the Cave.

According to Thai PBS, the ongoing rescue operation is now the biggest of its kind ever launched in Thailand. The article lists all the international support in the rescue, including Japanese irrigation experts, Australian divers, 17 rescuers from Beijing Peaceland (China), Cave divers from the UK, and a team from America known as USOACOM.

* The ThaiBTS article :

Biggest international rescue operation ever assembled in Thailand

"The ongoing rescue operation at Tham Luang Cave has become the biggest rescue operation of its kind ever launched in Thailand with the participation of divers and other rescuers from several countries." ...

 

* Another ThaiBTS article :

Rescue mission resumes on ninth day, SEAL units closer to target area

"Rescuers began their ninth day of search for the 12 missing young footballers and their coach this morning with the elite SEAL units attempting to make further advance toward the so-called Pattaya Beach inside Tham Luang Cave where the boys are believed to be stranded."...

 

* Latest from TheNation, 11:28 :

Smaller divers join rescue mission to navigate narrow passageway

"Scuba divers relatively small in stature joined Navy SEAL divers on Monday in the push to reach so-called “Pattaya Beach” zone of the Tham Luang Cave where the 12 young footballers and their assistant coach are believed to be awaiting rescue." …

[Oukiva]

* Another ThaiBTS article :

Gen Prawit believes SEAL teams will reach “Pattaya Beach” today

"Deputy Prime Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwon said this morning he believes members of the navy SEAL rescue unit will today reach the area in Tham Luang Cave known as Pattaya Beach where the 12 missing young footballers and their coach are believed to be taking refuge. 

Gen Prawit also expressed hopes that the boys and their coach are still sheltering at the spot."...

* Another BangkokPost article :

Rescuers brave narrow passage as time runs out for missing 13 

"Rescuers in flooded Tham Luang Cave were on Monday trying to penetrate a very narrow passage to 'Pattaya Beach', an area of higher ground where the 13 missing people may be sheltering.

Rescuers had manage to reach the "Sam Yak" three-way junction - and now the most critical section of the murky underground labyrinth lies ahead. "This is today's focus.

It is very narrow...  Turning left from Sam Yak, the passage ascends, drops steeply and then bends to the left - and is not yet accessible to foreign divers and their equipment, the governor said"...

 

* Latest from TheNation, 12:27 : 

Governor confirms searchers headed for key cave area

"...  Divers had reached the T-junction inside Tham Luang Cave and would turn left and press on towards the area dubbed “Pattaya Beach” where the lost football squad are believed to be trapped.

He said other divers would begin searching towards the right if there was adequate manpower. The divers had 600 full oxygen tanks so they can continue searching without having to retrace their route for more, he said. Narongsak said a forward command post had been set up in Chamber 3 of the Cave, with electricity and communication systems."...

 

* Last news from chiangmaicitylife.com :

At 11am Monday, the Governor of Chiang Rai released a statement saying that the current efforts are going well and the rescue teams are making good progress towards Pattaya Beach. He said if the rain holds off as ithas done all morning, then rescue times may speed up a little. The Thai Navy SEALS have reached the T-junction in the Cave and are taking a left turn towards Pattaya Beach. The Cave now has access to telephone wires, electricity wires, rope guidelines and over 200 oxygen tanks. Today, volunteers will help take in another 300 oxygen tanks.

The governor added that the next step is the most difficult and critical step, as the pathway to Pattaya Beach is very deep and very tight, as is the only way to get there. He added that teams will also explore the right hand side of the T-junction, and despite it being very difficult traverse and unlikely the group is in there, teams will be sent for a precaution following advice from a group of rescue experts. In addition to continuing the search inside the Cave, teams are focusing on two of 10 shafts or ‘chimneys’ that potentially reach the main Cave, one as deep as 200m and another at 60m.

[Oukiva]

* Latest from TheNation, 13:45 : 

Major source of floodwater to cave found – and diverted to farmland

"A team of 100 forestry officials, irrigation officials and local resident volunteers on Monday morning found a major source feeding floodwater into the Tham Luang Cave //

The water has already been diverted onto nearby farmland after the group’s days-long search for major sources of water entering the Cave paid off //

The move could help reduce the amount of water pouring into the Cave by 60 per cent"...

 

[Harry Brown]

29 minutes ago, Oukiva said:

* Latest from TheNation, 13:45 : 

Major source of floodwater to cave found – and diverted to farmland

"A team of 100 forestry officials, irrigation officials and local resident volunteers on Monday morning found a major source feeding floodwater into the Tham Luang cave //

The water has already been diverted onto nearby farmland after the group’s days-long search for major sources of water entering the cave paid off //

The move could help reduce the amount of water pouring into the cave by 60 per cent"...

 

 

This should make a massive difference hopefully.

[Oukiva]

* Latest from BangkokPost, 15:02 :

Rescuers hack through rock less than 500m from 'Pattaya beach'

"Navy Seal divers in flooded Tham Luang Cave were on Monday afternoon within 500 metres of a chamber containing an elevated rock mound, nicknamed "Pattaya Beach" by cavers, //

Progress has been slowed as divers need to widen parts of a narrow 100 metre stretch -- with sharp bends -- that they were unable to pass through without their air cylinders becoming jammed." ...

 

* A nice set of photos, around the cave:

https://www.bangkokpost.com/photo/photo/1496118#cxrecs_s

[brutox]

These men are nerve-rackingly close .. if rescuers are through the last flooded "sump", they are probably near close enough to hear voices .. everything hinges on Pattaya Beach as their likely safe harbor .. my stomach just knots up at the thought of them getting this right .. and hearing these boys' voices .. how glorious.

Hope.

Hope.

 

[Just Browsing]

2 hours ago, Oukiva said:

* Latest from BangkokPost, 15:02 :

Rescuers hack through rock less than 500m from 'Pattaya beach'

"Navy Seal divers in flooded Tham Luang cave were on Monday afternoon within 500 metres of a chamber containing an elevated rock mound, nicknamed "Pattaya Beach" by cavers, //

Progress has been slowed as divers need to widen parts of a narrow 100 metre stretch -- with sharp bends -- that they were unable to pass through without their air cylinders becoming jammed." ...

 

* A nice set of photos, around the cave:

https://www.bangkokpost.com/photo/photo/1496118#cxrecs_s

Thanks for the regular updates & here's hoping that there will be a good/great one very soon

[Oukiva]

^ No doubt many people are hopping so...

Finding them, alive, would be a huge relief...

Getting them out would be another big challenge though...

* Latest article from TheNation, 17:38 :

Thai cave rescue: What the search teams face

"A massive international operation // has made agonising progress as rescuers battle muddy torrents in almost total darkness, in a race-against-time to find the lost children."...

* ThaiPBS :

Drilling machine airlifted to Doi Pha Mee for drilling operation

"the drilling machine would initially bore a hole of 5-6 inches wide so that a miniature camera would be inserted into the shaft for a survey inside the Cave." ...

 

[Oukiva]

Another interesting picture of the Cave, from Twitter :

 

[Oukiva]

Water pumped from Tham Luang flooding nearby farms

"Almost 14,000 rai of farmland around Tham Luang has been flooded as rescuers continue pumping out water to help divers reach the 13 footballers stranded in the Cave."...

 

Edit:  I do like this article as he gives an idea of the importance of the water and the volume pumped. 1 rai is 1'600 square meter (surface of a 40m x 40m square). 14'000 rai is approximatively the surface of a 5 km x 5 km square !

Edit:  Someone, one day, surely will ask for the total cost of this "event". No idea, but must be huge already !

 

[brutox]

3 hours ago, brutox said:

These men are nerve-rackingly close .. if rescuers are through the last flooded "sump", they are probably near close enough to hear voices .. everything hinges on Pattaya Beach as their likely safe harbor .. my stomach just knots up at the thought of them getting this right .. and hearing these boys' voices .. how glorious.

Hope.

Hope.

 

The graphic in Oukiva's post #70 above illustrates a flooded sump only 100 metres from the Pattaya Beach safety zone.

Rescuers, and the boys alike, will hear nothing until divers emerge only 100 meters away from where we all hope these young boys are waiting.

This will be a late night for many of us.

Keeping the hope alive.

[Just Browsing]

43 minutes ago, Oukiva said:

Edit:  Someone, one day, surely will ask for the total cost of this "event". No idea, but must be huge already !

 

 

Awesome to see Brits, Americans & many other countries leap straight into action to offer support/expertise.

Obviously there's been no discussions/questions about what it will cost or they'd still be going through the "Committees" of politicians/bean counters.

Hopefully it will all end well, if it sadly doesn't then I would hope that they would do exactly the same thing in any future situations like this.

 

[usexpat46]

28 minutes ago, brutox said:

The graphic in Oukiva's post #70 above illustrates a flooded sump only 100 metres from the Pattaya Beach safety zone.

Rescuers, and the boys alike, will hear nothing until divers emerge only 100 meters away from where we all hope these young boys are waiting.

This will be a late night for many of us.

Keeping the hope alive.

We had some rain in Pattaya late afternoon and early evening hopefully the storm will head towards Issan and not Chiang Rai.

[usexpat46]

13 minutes ago, JB300 said:

 

Obviously there's been no discussions/questions about what it will cost or they'd still be going through the "Committees" of politicians/bean counters.

 

Didn't they have some problems with foreign volunteers during the 2004 tsunami regarding work permits?  Appears they corrected that problem.

[Harry Brown]

[brutox]

1 hour ago, Harry Brown said:

Wish it were so, Harry .. but, Chiang RAI is not so clear as Chiang Mai.

Rain threatens there each day through Thursday.

But, they are hopefully close .. maybe tonight .. maybe tomorrow.

I cannot imagine what the families are going through right now .. close.

 

[ZRHuser]

1 hour ago, usexpat46 said:

Didn't they have some problems with foreign volunteers during the 2004 tsunami regarding Work Permits?  Appears they corrected that problem.

I know two of the volunteers, both have a work permit. Both very experienced Cave dive instructors. 

[Clem Fandango]

Brilliant news!!! Well done all involved,just the task of getting them out now which won’t be easy. However super news

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/crimecourtscalamity/calamity/2018/07/02/all-children-coach-rescued-from-cave/

[Just Browsing]

1 hour ago, usexpat46 said:

Didn't they have some problems with foreign volunteers during the 2004 tsunami regarding Work Permits?  Appears they corrected that problem.

I read at that time that there was a problem with volunteers & work permits, but this time I think it's more "Professional"/"Official" so should (hopefully) be none of that malarkey 

 

[Wilhelm]

Good news, found alive! BBC reports

 

W

[brutox]

2 minutes ago, Joethescot said:

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/crimecourtscalamity/calamity/2018/07/02/all-children-coach-rescued-from-cave/

Whuh-hooooo!

Whuh-hooooo!

Whuh-hooooo!

Still really want to see confirmation, but ..

Whuh-fuckin-hoooooo!