Chiang Rai, Thailand (CNN) Thais reacted with relief and jubilation after rescue teams reported that they'd found all 12 boys and their soccer coach alive in a cave in Thailand nine days after the group went missing.

Rescuers at the scene outside Chiang Rai in northern Thailand cheered, exchanged high fives and slapped each others' backs as it emerged that British cave divers had made contact with the boys deep withing the cave complex, after navigating tight, flooded passages to reach them.

The Thai Navy released a video on Facebook apparently showing the moment the group were found. In the almost 5-minute clip, the boys are illuminated by torchlight while a diver can be heard speaking to them.

In the tape of the encounter, one of the British rescuers asks, in English, how many were in the group. Thirteen, the boys report. "Thirteen, brilliant!" the diver replies -- the number accounts for the entire missing party.

"We are coming, many people are coming. Many people, we are the first." The dazed boys, unaware of how long they've been trapped deep underground, ask what day it is.

"It's Monday, you have been here 10 days, 10 days," the rescuer replies. "You are very strong, very strong. We come, ok, we come."

The boys repeatedly tell them, in Thai, that they're hungry and need food. The rescuer replies that a Thai Navy SEAL team will come, along with "food and doctors and everything."

The boys, who are between 11 and 16 years old, are all members of the Wild Boar soccer team. They entered the Tham Luang Nang Non cave system on Saturday, June 23 but became stranded in the dark tunnels by a sudden and continuous downpour.

International rescue teams -- which include the Thai Navy SEALs as well as experts from the US, China, Australia and the UK -- had been working to reach a large, deep chamber, informally known as Pattaya Beach, where the missing boys were believed to have taken refuge.

A family member shows a picture of four of the twelve missing boys near the Tham Luang cave at the Khun Nam Nang Non Forest Park in Mae Sai on July 2, 2018.

"I confirm they are all safe," Narongsak Osottanakorn, governor of the local region Chiang Rai, told reporters on Monday night.

Family members greeted the news with relief and tears of happiness, punching the air when they heard that their boys were alive.

Family members of one of the missing boy celebrate while camping out near Tham Luang cave.

"I was happy to hear the cheering from the rescue workers. I felt that I have hope that I am going to get to see my son alive," said Adisak Wongsukjan, whose 14-year-old son Ekarat is one of the boys seen huddling in the cave.

"I want to hug my son... usually our family sleep in the same bed together. We are a very close family."

The missing boys, with their coach, are seen here in a photo taken from the coach's Facebook page.

Deep underground

In the days following the boys' disappearance into the vast network of tunnels, rescuers had focused on reaching Pattaya Beach, on the assumption that boys and their coach would go there to escape rising flood waters.

However, Osottanakorn said when rescuers reached Pattaya Beach they found it too was underwater. Divers continued a further 300 to 400 meters where they found the team perched on a muddy incline.

An image of the boys seen perched on a muddy strip deep inside the cave.

The boys were found around two kilometers (1.24 miles) into the cave and somewhere between 800 meters to one kilometer below the surface, according to a British Cave Rescue Council briefing note.

The briefing warns, however, that the danger has not abated. While Monday was relatively dry, by Tuesday the rains had started to steadily fall once again and while huge pumps are working overtime to bring the water levels down in the cave complex, any downpour could potentially set back efforts to bring the children out safely.

Amid the emotional discovery, Osottanakorn warned that the mission is "not done yet" and medical experts need to enter the cave to assess the boys.

"We will drain all water out from the cave then we will take all 13 people out of the cave. We are now planning how to send (a) nurse and doctor inside the cave to check their health and movement. We will work all night," he said.

Capt. Akanand Surawan, a commander with the Royal Thai Navy said additional divers will accompany the doctor and nurse. Rescuers will also pump air into the cave to improve conditions.

The next phase of the operation involves supplying the team with four months' worth of food and teaching the boys how to dive, Surawan said.

Pat Moret, a rescue consultant, said the team will likely need a lot of medical treatment before they can be moved.

"They'll need fluids replacing (and) possibly feeding. They're going to need reheating. They've possibly been lying still for days now. And sensory faculties won't be what they should be. So I would think that they're not really fit to move for maybe 12 hours or so really."

Even after that, the kids and their coach may need to dive to get out of the cave, Moret added.

"Worst case scenario is that they have to dive them out. So they're being fully immersed in water, wearing what we know is a full face mask or maybe even some sort of commercial dive helmet to make it a little less stressful for them. But it will be a truly terrifying experience," Moret said.

Outpouring of relief

Thais across the country, who have been following every twist of the nine-day long saga, reacted to Monday night's news with joy and relief.

One Thai twitter user said that he was "crying in (a) taxi" at the news.

I'm crying in taxi right now. They found all the 13 boys in the cave! #13ชีวิตต้องรอด — Sam Nathapong (@samnathapong) July 2, 2018

Many had been posting cartoons of the rescue attempts, and by Tuesday the drawings had changed into pictures of gratitude.

ไม่ใช่ปาฏิหาริย์แต่มันคือความพยายาม สุดท้ายนี้ต้องขอบคุณ จนท. ทุกท่านจากใจค่ะ🙇



Thanks for all of the hard works&supports physically&mentally from everyone-Thai&intl team from private&public org, local people who have helped searching for the13lives.🙇 .#ถ้ำหลวง #thamluang pic.twitter.com/cZIQfzGLKz — I'm YoUr😘P'ChOkE (@Prasattongosoth) July 3, 2018

Thai-language papers uniformly led with the boys' rescue in their Tuesday morning editions.

Thai newspapers lead with news that rescuers had made contact with the boys and their coach.

Thai Prime Minister, Prayut Chan-o-cha, said he was delighted with the news, according to Thai state media.

In an article published in the National News Bureau of Thailand, the Prime Minister thanks the army, police, volunteers, the general public and the media for working together and making the rescue operation a success.

"This incident has shown the unity of the Thai people... Today is a good day for all Thai people, including the families of the children," Prayut said.

A park officer first sounded the alarm on June 23 after spotting the boys' bicycles near the entrance to the off-limits cave complex.

The cave is popular with tourists who venture into the cavernous entrance, however the tunnels narrow to the point that it's only possible to crawl through them. The tunnels open into wider chambers, and it's in one of those chambers that the boys were found.</s>All 12 boys and their coach were found alive says a Thai official

In this handout photo released by Tham Luang Rescue Operation Center, Thai rescue teams walk inside cave complex where 12 boys and their soccer coach went missing, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, Monday, July 2, 2018. Rescue divers are advancing in the main passageway inside the flooded cave in northern Thailand where the boys and their coach have been missing more than a week. (Tham Luang Rescue Operation Center via AP)

A Thai provincial governor says all 12 boys and their coach have been found alive in the cave where they went missing over a week ago in northern Thailand.

Chiang Rai Gov. Narongsak Osatanakorn said late Monday that the 13 were being rescued.

RELATED: Thai prime minister to families of missing boys: Have faith

He said, “We found them safe. But the operation isn’t over.”

The boys, aged 11 to 16, and their 25-year-old coach went missing when flooding trapped them after entering the Tham Luang Nang Non cave in Chiang Rai province on June 23.

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.</s>THAILAND-A Thai provincial governor says all 12 boys and their coach have been found alive in the cave where they went missing over a week ago in northern Thailand.

Chiang Rai Gov. Narongsak Osatanakorn said late Monday that the 13 were being rescued.

He said, “We found them safe. But the operation isn’t over.”

The boys, aged 11 to 16, and their 25-year-old coach went missing when flooding trapped them after entering the Tham Luang Nang Non cave in Chiang Rai province on June 23.</s>In this grab taken from video provided by the Thai Navy Seal, a view of the boys and their soccer coach as they are rescued in a cave, in Chiang Rai in Thailand, Monday, July 2, 2018. Rescuers found all 12 boys and their soccer coach alive deep inside a partially flooded cave in northern Thailand late Monday, more than a week after they disappeared and touched off a desperate search that drew international help and captivated the nation. (Thai Navy Seal via AP) less

In this grab taken from video provided by the Thai Navy Seal, a view of the boys and their soccer coach as they are rescued in a cave, in Chiang Rai in Thailand, Monday, July 2, 2018. Rescuers found all 12 ... more

In this grab taken from video provided by the Thai Navy Seal, a view of the boys and their soccer coach as they are rescued in a cave, in Chiang Rai in Thailand, Monday, July 2, 2018. Rescuers found all 12 boys and their soccer coach alive deep inside a partially flooded cave in northern Thailand late Monday, more than a week after they disappeared and touched off a desperate search that drew international help and captivated the nation. (Thai Navy Seal via AP) less

In this grab taken from video provided by the Thai Navy Seal, a view of the boys and their soccer coach as they are rescued in a cave, in Chiang Rai in Thailand, Monday, July 2, 2018. Rescuers found all 12 ... more

In this grab taken from video provided by the Thai Navy Seal, a view of the boys and their soccer coach as they are rescued in a cave, in Chiang Rai in Thailand, Monday, July 2, 2018. Rescuers found all 12 boys and their soccer coach alive deep inside a partially flooded cave in northern Thailand late Monday, more than a week after they disappeared and touched off a desperate search that drew international help and captivated the nation. (Thai Navy Seal via AP) less

In this grab taken from video provided by the Thai Navy Seal, a view of the boys and their soccer coach as they are rescued in a cave, in Chiang Rai in Thailand, Monday, July 2, 2018. Rescuers found all 12 ... more

Family members react after hearing the news that the missing 12 boys and their soccer coach have been found, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, Monday, July 2, 2018. A Thai provincial governor says all 12 boys and their coach have been found alive in the cave where they went missing over a week ago in northern Thailand. less

Family members react after hearing the news that the missing 12 boys and their soccer coach have been found, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, Monday, July 2, 2018. A Thai provincial ... more

Family members react after hearing the news that the missing 12 boys and their soccer coach have been found, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, Monday, July 2, 2018. A Thai provincial governor says all 12 boys and their coach have been found alive in the cave where they went missing over a week ago in northern Thailand. less

Family members react after hearing the news that the missing 12 boys and their soccer coach have been found, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, Monday, July 2, 2018. A Thai provincial ... more

Family members react after hearing the news that the missing 12 boys and their soccer coach have been found, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, Monday, July 2, 2018. A Thai provincial governor says all 12 boys and their coach have been found alive in the cave where they went missing over a week ago in northern Thailand. less

Family members react after hearing the news that the missing 12 boys and their soccer coach have been found, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, Monday, July 2, 2018. A Thai provincial ... more

In this grab taken from video provided by the Thai Navy Seal, a view of the boys and their soccer coach as they are rescued in a cave, in Chiang Rai in Thailand, Monday, July 2, 2018. Rescuers found all 12 boys and their soccer coach alive deep inside a partially flooded cave in northern Thailand late Monday, more than a week after they disappeared and touched off a desperate search that drew international help and captivated the nation. (Thai Navy Seal via AP) less

In this grab taken from video provided by the Thai Navy Seal, a view of the boys and their soccer coach as they are rescued in a cave, in Chiang Rai in Thailand, Monday, July 2, 2018. Rescuers found all 12 ... more

A young family member reacts after hearing the news that the missing 12 boys and their soccer coach have been found, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, Monday, July 2, 2018. A Thai provincial governor says all 12 boys and their coach have been found alive in the cave where they went missing over a week ago in northern Thailand. less

A young family member reacts after hearing the news that the missing 12 boys and their soccer coach have been found, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, Monday, July 2, 2018. A Thai ... more

In this grab taken from video provided by the Thai Navy Seal, a view of the boys and their soccer coach as they are rescued in a cave, in Chiang Rai in Thailand, Monday, July 2, 2018. Rescuers found all 12 boys and their soccer coach alive deep inside a partially flooded cave in northern Thailand late Monday, more than a week after they disappeared and touched off a desperate search that drew international help and captivated the nation. (Thai Navy Seal via AP) less

In this grab taken from video provided by the Thai Navy Seal, a view of the boys and their soccer coach as they are rescued in a cave, in Chiang Rai in Thailand, Monday, July 2, 2018. Rescuers found all 12 ... more

Family members smile after hearing the news that the missing 12 boys and their soccer coach have been found, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, Monday, July 2, 2018. A Thai provincial governor says all 12 boys and their coach have been found alive in the cave where they went missing over a week ago in northern Thailand. less

Family members smile after hearing the news that the missing 12 boys and their soccer coach have been found, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, Monday, July 2, 2018. A Thai provincial ... more

Family members smile after hearing the news that the missing 12 boys and their soccer coach have been found, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, Monday, July 2, 2018. A Thai provincial governor says all 12 boys and their coach have been found alive in the cave where they went missing over a week ago in northern Thailand. less

Family members smile after hearing the news that the missing 12 boys and their soccer coach have been found, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, Monday, July 2, 2018. A Thai provincial ... more

A family member smiles after hearing the news that the missing 12 boys and their soccer coach have been found, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, Monday, July 2, 2018. A Thai provincial governor says all 12 boys and their coach have been found alive in the cave where they went missing over a week ago in northern Thailand. less

A family member smiles after hearing the news that the missing 12 boys and their soccer coach have been found, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, Monday, July 2, 2018. A Thai provincial ... more

Rescuers make their way down at the entrance to a cave complex where 12 boys and their soccer coach went missing, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, Monday, July 2, 2018. Rescue divers are advancing in the main passageway inside the flooded cave in northern Thailand where the boys and their coach have been missing more than a week. less

Rescuers make their way down at the entrance to a cave complex where 12 boys and their soccer coach went missing, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, Monday, July 2, 2018. Rescue divers are ... more

Personnels, right, of U.S. Special Operations Command Pacific Search and Rescue team meet with rescue teams from China, Thailand and Australia as they conduct search operation for missing 12 boys and their soccer coach, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, Monday, July 2, 2018. Rescue divers are advancing in the main passageway inside the flooded cave in northern Thailand where the boys and their coach have been missing more than a week. less

Personnels, right, of U.S. Special Operations Command Pacific Search and Rescue team meet with rescue teams from China, Thailand and Australia as they conduct search operation for missing 12 boys and their ... more

China's rescue team members join in a meeting with U.S. Special Operations Command Pacific Search and Rescue team personnel as they conduct search operation for missing 12 boys and their soccer coach, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, Monday, July 2, 2018. Rescue divers are advancing in the main passageway inside the flooded cave in northern Thailand where the boys and their coach have been missing more than a week. less

China's rescue team members join in a meeting with U.S. Special Operations Command Pacific Search and Rescue team personnel as they conduct search operation for missing 12 boys and their soccer coach, in Mae ... more

Chinese rescues team members talk near a cave complex where 12 boys and their soccer coach went missing, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, Monday, July 2, 2018. Rescue divers are advancing in the main passageway inside the flooded cave in northern Thailand where the boys and their coach have been missing more than a week. less

Chinese rescues team members talk near a cave complex where 12 boys and their soccer coach went missing, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, Monday, July 2, 2018. Rescue divers are advancing ... more

Thai police stand in front of the entrance to a cave complex where 12 boys and their soccer coach went missing, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, Monday, July 2, 2018. Rescue divers are advancing in the main passageway inside the flooded cave in northern Thailand where the boys and their coach have been missing more than a week. less

Thai police stand in front of the entrance to a cave complex where 12 boys and their soccer coach went missing, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, Monday, July 2, 2018. Rescue divers are ... more

Rescuers make their way up at the entrance to a cave complex where 12 boys and their soccer coach went missing, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, Monday, July 2, 2018. Rescue divers are advancing in the main passageway inside the flooded cave in northern Thailand where the boys and their coach have been missing more than a week. less

Rescuers make their way up at the entrance to a cave complex where 12 boys and their soccer coach went missing, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, Monday, July 2, 2018. Rescue divers are ... more

A military transport helicopter carries a drill machine to be used for the rescue search of missing 12 boys and their soccer coach, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, Monday, July 2, 2018. Rescue divers are advancing in the main passageway inside the flooded cave in northern Thailand where the boys and their coach have been missing more than a week. less

A military transport helicopter carries a drill machine to be used for the rescue search of missing 12 boys and their soccer coach, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, Monday, July 2, 2018. ... more

A military transport helicopter prepares to carry drill machine to be used for the search of missing 12 boys and their soccer coach, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, Monday, July 2, 2018. Rescue divers are advancing in the main passageway inside the flooded cave in northern Thailand where the boys and their coach have been missing more than a week. less

A military transport helicopter prepares to carry drill machine to be used for the search of missing 12 boys and their soccer coach, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, Monday, July 2, 2018. ... more

A rescuer makes his way down at the entrance to a cave complex where 12 boys and their soccer coach went missing, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, Monday, July 2, 2018. Rescue divers are advancing in the main passageway inside the flooded cave in northern Thailand where the boys and their coach have been missing more than a week. less

A rescuer makes his way down at the entrance to a cave complex where 12 boys and their soccer coach went missing, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, Monday, July 2, 2018. Rescue divers are ... more

A rescuer makes his way down muddy steps past water pump hoses at the entrance to a cave complex where 12 soccer team members and their coach went missing, Monday, July 2, 2018, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand. Rescue divers are advancing in the main passageway inside the flooded cave in northern Thailand where the boys and their coach have been missing more than a week. less

A rescuer makes his way down muddy steps past water pump hoses at the entrance to a cave complex where 12 soccer team members and their coach went missing, Monday, July 2, 2018, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, ... more

In this handout photo released by Tham Luang Rescue Operation Center, Thai rescue teams walk inside cave complex where 12 boys and their soccer coach went missing, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, Monday, July 2, 2018. Rescue divers are advancing in the main passageway inside the flooded cave in northern Thailand where the boys and their coach have been missing more than a week. less

In this handout photo released by Tham Luang Rescue Operation Center, Thai rescue teams walk inside cave complex where 12 boys and their soccer coach went missing, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern ... more

In this handout photo released by Tham Luang Rescue Operation Center, Thai rescue teams walk inside cave complex where 12 boys and their soccer coach went missing, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, Monday, July 2, 2018. Rescue divers are advancing in the main passageway inside the flooded cave in northern Thailand where the boys and their coach have been missing more than a week. less

In this handout photo released by Tham Luang Rescue Operation Center, Thai rescue teams walk inside cave complex where 12 boys and their soccer coach went missing, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern ... more

Prayer offerings are placed near a cave where 12 boys and their soccer coach went missing, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, Sunday, July 1, 2018. The frantic effort to locate them in the cave for a week picked up pace as a break in the rain eased flooding in the system of caverns and more experts from around the world joined the anxious rescue mission. less

Prayer offerings are placed near a cave where 12 boys and their soccer coach went missing, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, Sunday, July 1, 2018. The frantic effort to locate them in the ... more

Australian Federal Police and Defense Force personnel talk each other near a cave complex where 12 boys and their soccer coach went missing, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, Sunday, July 1, 2018. The frantic effort to locate them in the cave for a week picked up pace as a break in the rain eased flooding in the system of caverns and more experts from around the world joined the anxious rescue mission. less

Australian Federal Police and Defense Force personnel talk each other near a cave complex where 12 boys and their soccer coach went missing, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, Sunday, July ... more

A Buddhist monk, helped by Thai rescues, walks after praying near a cave complex where 12 boys and their soccer coach went missing, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, Sunday, July 1, 2018. The frantic effort to locate them in the cave for a week picked up pace as a break in the rain eased flooding in the system of caverns and more experts from around the world joined the anxious rescue mission. less

A Buddhist monk, helped by Thai rescues, walks after praying near a cave complex where 12 boys and their soccer coach went missing, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, Sunday, July 1, 2018. ... more

Rescuers make their way down at the entrance to a cave complex where 12 boys and their soccer coach went missing, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, Sunday, July 1, 2018. The frantic effort to locate them in the cave for a week picked up pace as a break in the rain eased flooding in the system of caverns and more experts from around the world joined the anxious rescue mission. less

Rescuers make their way down at the entrance to a cave complex where 12 boys and their soccer coach went missing, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, Sunday, July 1, 2018. The frantic effort ... more

A rescuer stands in front of the entrance to a cave complex where 12 boys and their soccer coach went missing, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, Sunday, July 1, 2018. The frantic effort to locate them in the cave for a week picked up pace as a break in the rain eased flooding in the system of caverns and more experts from around the world joined the anxious rescue mission. less

A rescuer stands in front of the entrance to a cave complex where 12 boys and their soccer coach went missing, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, Sunday, July 1, 2018. The frantic effort to ... more

Rescuers make their way down at the entrance to a cave complex where 12 boys and their soccer coach went missing, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, Sunday, July 1, 2018. The frantic effort to locate them in the cave for a week picked up pace as a break in the rain eased flooding in the system of caverns and more experts from around the world joined the anxious rescue mission. less

Rescuers make their way down at the entrance to a cave complex where 12 boys and their soccer coach went missing, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, Sunday, July 1, 2018. The frantic effort ... more

MAE SAI, Thailand (AP) — The 12 boys and soccer coach found in a partially flooded cave in northern Thailand after 10 days are mostly in stable medical condition and have received high-protein liquid food, officials said Tuesday, though it is not known when they will be able to go home.

Video released early Tuesday by the Thai navy showed the boys in their soccer uniforms sitting on a dry area inside the cave above the water as a spotlight, apparently from a rescuer, illuminated their faces. The boys were found late Monday night during a desperate search that drew international help and captivated the nation.

Chiang Rai provincial Gov. Narongsak Osatanakorn said the health of the boys and coach were checked using a field assessment in which red is critical condition, yellow is serious and green is stable.

"We found that most of the boys are in green condition," he said. "Maybe some of the boys have injuries or light injuries and would be categorized as yellow condition. But no one is in red condition."

When the group will be able to leave the cave isn't known due to flooding and other factors that could make their extraction dangerous. Experts have said it could be safer to simply supply them where they are for now. Thailand's rainy season typically lasts through October.

Family members of the missing hugged each other and cheered as they heard they had been found.

Aisha Wiboonrungrueng, the mother of 11-year-old Chanin Wiboonrungrueng, smiled and hugged her family as news of their discovery spread. She said she would cook her son a Thai omelet, his favorite food, when he returns home.

Rescue divers had spent much of Monday making preparations for a final push to locate the lost soccer players, aged 11 to 16, and their 25-year-old coach. Flooding trapped them after they entered the Tham Luang Nang Non cave in Chiang Rai on June 23.

Divers found the group about 300-400 meters (yards) past a section of the cave on higher ground that was thought to be where they might have taken shelter.

In the 5-minute navy video, the boys are quiet as they sit on their haunches, legs bent in front of them. "You are very strong," one of the rescuers says in English. Someone asks what day it is, and the rescuer responds, "Monday. Monday. You have been here — 10 days."

One boy, noticing the camera and hearing unfamiliar words, says in Thai, "Oh, they want to take a picture; tell him we're hungry. I haven't had anything to eat."

Then the boy breaks into simple English, saying, "Eat, eat, eat," to which another voice responds in Thai that he already told that to the rescuer.

Narongsak said Tuesday that the missing were given high-protein liquid food, painkillers and antibiotics. He said doctors had advised giving the medicine as a preventative measure.

Anmar Mirza, a leading American cave rescue expert, said many challenges remain for the rescuers. He said the primary decision is whether to try to evacuate the boys and their coach or to supply them in place.

"Supplying them on site may face challenges depending on how difficult the dives are," Mirza, coordinator of the U.S. National Cave Rescue Commission, said in an email. "Trying to take non-divers through a cave is one of the most dangerous situations possible, even if the dives are relatively easy. That also begets the question: If the dives are difficult then supply will be difficult, but the risk of trying to dive them out is also exponentially greater."

Narongsak said officials had met and agreed on the need to "ensure 100 percent safety for the boys when we bring them out."

"We worked so hard to find them and we will not lose them," he said.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha thanked the international experts and rescuers who helped locate the missing for their "tremendous efforts."

"The Royal Thai Government and the Thai people are grateful for this support and cooperation, and we all wish the team a safe and speedy recovery," Prayuth's office said in a statement.

The rescuers had been stymied repeatedly by rising water that forced divers to withdraw for safety reasons. When water levels fell Sunday, the divers went forward with a more methodical approach, deploying a rope line and extra oxygen supplies along the way.

Teams have also been working to pump water out of the cave and divert groundwater, while other rescuers focused on exploring shafts above ground that might lead into the cave. Several fissures were found and teams have explored some, though none led to the missing group.

Experts in cave rescues from around the world had gathered at the site. An official Australian group has followed a U.S. military team, British cave experts, Chinese lifesaving responders and several other volunteer groups from various countries.

"These are challenging conditions and there's a lot of consideration for safety as well as, the environment outside is contributing to the environment inside," said U.S. Air Force Capt. Jessica Tait, part of a 30-member U.S. military team assisting in the search, referring to the rain that has been flooding the cave. "So I'd say, yeah, it's an accurate statement that it's challenging."</s>Thai officers supervise the rescue mission inside Tham Luang Nang Non cave on in Chiang Rai, Thailand. Rescuers battle heavy rain in northern Thailand as they continued the search for 12 boys and their soccer coach who have been missing in Tham Luang Nang Non cave since Saturday night after monsoon rains blocked the main entrance.

A Thai youth soccer team and its coach have been found alive in a vast, flooded cave complex where they disappeared more than a week ago, the regional governor said Monday.

“We found them safe," Chiang Rai Gov. Narongsak Osatanakorn said late Monday. "But the operation isn’t over."

Osatanakorn said they were found in the area near the so-called Pattaya Beach, an elevated rock mound sometimes used by cavers when water floods the caves. He said the rescue was underway and that their conditions were being evaluated.

Twelve players, ages 11-16, and their 25-year-old coach had been stranded for 10 days in the Tham Luang Nang Non caves in Thailand's rugged, mountainous Chiang Rai province.

"Thai Navy seals have found all 13 with signs of life," the governor told The Bangkok Post. "We found all 13 safe... we will take care of them until they can move."

More: US rescue team aids desperate search for Thailand soccer team

More: 'We must find the children today': Desperate cave search underway

The U.S. Pacific Command sent a 30-person rescue team to northern Thailand to aid the desperate search, which began when a mother reported her son had not returned from soccer practice. The group had not been heard from since they disappeared June 23.

Thai military and local first-responders also assited in the effort, along with military helicopters, remotely operated underwater vehicles and drones equipped with heat detectors.

Families of the missing joined by Buddhist monks had been conducting a vigil outside the cave entrance and the team's bikes and soccer gear remained strewn in the area.</s>The boys and their soccer coach were located nine days after first entering the Tham Luang Nang Non cave complex, Chiang Rai Gov. Narongsak Osatanakorn, said Monday night local time.

The governor said rescue teams will send doctors and food to help them and that rescue teams still need to pump more water out of the cave and work on bringing them out.

"We found them safe. But the operation isn't over," the governor said, according to the Associated Press.

The boys, ages 11 to 16, and their coach had been stuck in the Tham Luang Nang Non cave following a soccer game and near-constant rains since then have thwarted the search for them, according to the AP. The incident most probably caused by jerry-rigged electrical lines fed into the caverns to power lights and pumps, according to the AP.

The rescue mission had been hampered late last week after at least three rescuers near the efforts of the cave complex appeared to suffer electric shocks, according to The Associated Press.

Ambulances quickly arrived and witnesses saw three men being carried to them on stretchers. Police said their injuries were minor and the men were in stable condition, the AP reported.</s>MAE SAI, Thailand — A top Thai official said Tuesday that heavy rains forecast for the coming days could worsen floods in the mountain cave where 12 boys and their soccer coach were located after being missing for more than a week, forcing authorities to speed up their extraction.

The 13 were located by rescue divers late Monday night in the cave in northern Chiang Rai province during a desperate search that drew international help and captivated the nation. Officials said Tuesday that the boys, aged 11-16, and their 25-year-old coach were mostly in stable medical condition and have received high-protein liquid food.

Interior Minister Anupong Paojinda, a member of the country’s ruling military junta, said Tuesday that the boys may need to swim out using diving equipment ahead of bad weather forecast for later in the week. He said the boys would be brought out via the same complicated route through which their rescuers entered.

While efforts to pump out the floodwaters would continue, Anupong said it’s clear some areas of the sprawling cave cannot be drained and that in order to get out, the boys may need to use diving gear while being guided by two professional divers each. He conceded that if something went awry, it could be disastrous.

“Diving is not easy. For people who have never done it, it will be difficult, unlike diving in a swimming pool, because the cave’s features have small channels,” he said. “If something happens midway, it could be life-threatening.”

Video released early Tuesday by the Thai navy showed the boys in their soccer uniforms sitting on a dry area inside the Tham Luang Nang Non cave above the water as a spotlight from a rescuer illuminated their faces.
• All 12 boys, soccer coach found alive in Thai cave
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Chiang Rai provincial Gov. Narongsak Osatanakorn said the health of the boys and coach were checked using a field assessment in which red is critical condition, yellow is serious and green is stable.

“We found that most of the boys are in green condition,” he said. “Maybe some of the boys have injuries or light injuries and would be categorized as yellow condition. But no one is in red condition.”

Cave rescue experts have said it could be safer to simply supply them where they are for now, rather than attempting to have the boys dive out. That could take as long as months, however, given that Thailand’s rainy season typically lasts through October.

Family members who have kept vigil at the mouth of the cave since their ordeal began June 23 rejoiced at the news that their boys and their coach had been found.

“I want to give him a hug. I miss him very much,” said Tham Chanthawong, an aunt of the coach. “In these 10 days, how many million seconds have there been? I’ve missed him every second.”

Rescue divers had spent much of Monday making preparations for a final push to locate the missing, efforts that had been hampered much of the week by flooding that made moving through tight passageways filled with muddy water difficult.

A pair of expert cave divers from Britain found the group about 300-400 yards past a section of the cave on higher ground that was thought to be where they might have taken shelter.

In the five-minute navy video, the boys are seen wearing their soccer uniforms and are calm, curious and polite. They are also keen to get some food.

After an initial exchange in which a rescuer ascertains that all 13 are present, one of the boys asks what day it is, and a rescuer replies: “Monday. Monday. You have been here — 10 days.”

The rescuer tells them “you are very strong,” but soon the traditional reserve of Thai children toward adults breaks a bit, and one tells another in Thai, “Tell them we are hungry.”

“We haven’t eaten,” a boy says in Thai, then breaks into English: “We have to eat, eat, eat!” A fellow boy tells him they already said this, and then the rescuer assures them that “Navy SEALs will come tomorrow, with food and doctors and everything.” At the end of the video a boy asks in English, “Where do you come from?” The rescue diver replies, “England, UK.”

Narongsak said Tuesday that the missing were given high-protein liquid food, painkillers and antibiotics. He said doctors had advised giving the medicine as a preventative measure.

He said officials had met and agreed on the need to “ensure 100 percent safety for the boys when we bring them out.”

“We worked so hard to find them and we will not lose them,” he said.

Anmar Mirza, a leading American cave rescue expert, said many challenges remain for the rescuers. He said the primary decision is whether to try to evacuate the boys and their coach or to supply them in place.

“Supplying them on site may face challenges depending on how difficult the dives are,” Mirza, coordinator of the U.S. National Cave Rescue Commission, said in an email. “Trying to take non-divers through a cave is one of the most dangerous situations possible, even if the dives are relatively easy.”

The British Cave Rescue Council, which has members taking part in the operation, said in a statement that “although water levels have dropped, the diving conditions remain difficult and any attempt to dive the boys and their coach out will not be taken lightly because there are significant technical challenges and risks to consider.”

Joining the British are other cave experts from around the world and teams from the U.S., Australia, China and elsewhere.

Authorities said efforts would also continue outside the cave, where teams have been scouring the mountainside in search of other entrances to the caverns below. Several fissures have been found and teams have explored some, though so far none have led to the trapped boys.</s>(ABC NEWS)- It’s been one week since 12 boys and their soccer coach disappeared inside a flooded cave in the mountains of northern Thailand, and rescuers are in a race against time to find them.

Tham Luang Nang Non, Thailand’s longest cave and a popular tourist site, is said to be a labyrinth of miles-long passageways and narrow tunnels. Underneath the jungle in Chiang Rai province, the cave can flood up to 20 feet during heavy rain.

Last Saturday afternoon, the group of boys, between the ages of 11 and 16, and their 25-year-old soccer coach hiked into the cave complex after soccer practice. It’s believed that the coach often brought his team to the site for fun excursions.

But as the boys and the coach ventured deeper into the cave, the sky opened up and it began to rain.

Authorities believe they crawled through a narrow channel that may now be flooded after days of downpours. Authorities remain hopeful that the group was able to find a chamber that could still be above floodwater levels, with enough air and clean water for them to survive.

More than 1,000 people have been involved in the frantic search and rescue effort, including members of the United States Pacific Command as well as professional cave divers and specialists from the United Kingdom and China. But as Thailand enters its rainy season, persistent rain has hampered the massive operation.

Still, rescuers are intensifying their efforts and doing anything they can — drilling through the rock, deploying ultrasonic sensors and dropping survival packages down holes they find above ground in hopes the shafts connect to the cave network below.

“There has to be faith. Faith makes everything a success,” Thailand’s prime minister, Prayut Chan-o-cha, reportedly told families waiting outside the cave on Friday. “Faith in the actions of officials. Faith in our children who are strong and vigorous. Everything will go back to normal.”</s>Thai officers supervise the rescue mission inside Tham Luang Nang Non cave on in Chiang Rai, Thailand. Rescuers battle heavy rain in northern Thailand as they continued the search for 12 boys and their soccer coach who have been missing in Tham Luang Nang Non cave since Saturday night after monsoon rains blocked the main entrance.

A Thai youth soccer team and its coach were found alive Monday in a vast, flooded cave complex where they disappeared more than a week ago.

“We found them safe," Chiang Rai Gov. Narongsak Osatanakorn said. "But the operation isn’t over."

It was not immediately clear when the group would be removed from the cave. Osatanakorn said the rescue was underway and conditions of the players were being evaluated.

Photos sent from the forward rescue team showed some of the boys smiling for the camera, fueling optimism for their ecstatic family members awaiting word outside the cave, the Bangkok Post reported.

The desperate search drew worldwide attention, and hundreds of rescuers worked around the clock combatting heavy rains and flooding that slowed the effort. Massive pumps cleared water out of sections of cave, allowing rescuers to drill deep into a network of tunnels.

The players, ages 11-16, and their 25-year-old coach had been stranded since June 23 in the Tham Luang Nang Non caves in Thailand's rugged, mountainous Chiang Rai province.

"Thai Navy SEALs have found all 13 with signs of life," the governor said. "We will take care of them until they can move."

More: US rescue team aids desperate search for Thailand soccer team

More: 'We must find the children today': Desperate cave search underway

They were found in a chamber containing the so-called Pattaya Beach, an elevated rock mound sometimes used by cavers when water floods the caves, Osatanakorn said.

Earlier Monday, Thai authorities announced searchers had closed to within less than 600 yards of the mound and were widening the narrow, twisting route with drills so they could pass through with their gear.

Last week, the U.S. Pacific Command sent a 30-person rescue team to northern Thailand to aid the desperate search, which began when a mother reported her son had not returned from soccer practice. The soccer team had not been heard from since.

Teams from Britain, China, Australia and other countries also joined the effort. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha issued a statement of thanks to "all international units that have come to assist the Thai authorities in rescuing the youth football team. ... The Royal Thai Government and the Thai people are grateful for this support and cooperation, and we all wish the team a safe and speedy recovery.”

Thai military and local first-responders led the effort, backed by with military helicopters, remotely operated underwater vehicles and drones equipped with heat detectors.

Families of the missing joined by Buddhist monks had been conducting a vigil outside the cave entrance and the team's bikes and soccer gear remained strewn in the area.</s>The 12 boys and their coach have been missing for 12 days.

Twelve boys and a coach from a Thai soccer team have thankfully been found alive after an intensive nine-day search. The children, whose ages range from 11-16, play for the Wild Boar soccer team. Their coach is 25-years-old. They embarked on what was supposed to be a fun team excursion into the Tham Luang Nang Non cave system on Saturday, June 23, only to be stranded after a heavy downpour of continuous rainfall trapped them within the labyrinth of dark tunnels.

Chiang Rai Governor Narongsak Osatanakorn told waiting reporters, “I can confirm that they are all safe.” According to CNN, he went on to say “Our mission is not done yet. We will drain all water out from the cave then we will take all 13 people out of the cave. We are now planning how to send nurse and doctor inside the cave to check their health and movement. We will work all night.”

An international rescue effort had been working around the clock to locate the team, with the Thai Navy Seals and experts from the U.S., China, Australia, and the U.K. cooperating in hopes of finding the boys and safely returning them to their families. The operation was working to reach a particularly deep chamber casually called Pattaya Beach, where it was believed the boys may have taken refuge. The team was found about 440 yards away, having sought protection from the rising waters in a spot with a higher elevation. They were found by the Thai Navy Seals.

The team’s plight has dominated the media in the nation of Thailand as the country desperately awaited word of the boys’ fate. Many had given up hope the team would be found alive. Today, the sounds of cheers could be heard at the cave’s entrance and beyond as the good news spread. But their job isn’t finished. Now they must find a way to extract them safely from their caves.

Although the exact condition of the boys and their coach is not known, it is expected that they will need food and medical attention as soon as possible. This was initially supposed to be a day trip, and it is, therefore, unlikely they had enough supplies to last them nine days. Divers are expected to bring supplies to the boys onsite as they plot a rescue.

The team still remains in a perilous situation as the area below them is flooded and the muddy water is still rising. This initially prompted divers to withdraw, and the team was found via a system of ropes and cameras. Experts in cave rescues from around the world have gathered at the rescue site and are expected to be consulted as a rescue strategy is developed.
Rescue teams find all 12 boys and their soccer coach alive in Tham Luang Nang Non cave in Chiang Rai, Thailand, after being trapped for 10 days.