Thailand cave rescue: Navy officials confirm 9th boy rescued top stories direct to your inbox SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up to receive our rundown of the day'sdirect to your inbox When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. At least four boys trapped in the cave were rescued today. Officials decided they could not wait to save the group any longer, as they believe the boys are now “fit enough and ready”. The boys, aged between 11 and 16, as well as their 25-year-old coach, have been stranded for two weeks on a ledge in the flooded Tham Luang Nang Non caves in Chiang Rai, northern Thailand. How did the Thai soccer team end up in the cave? The group became trapped on June 23 when they started exploring the caves after going on a picnic following football practice. The group had been missing for nine days before they were found huddled inside the cave and survived by drinking water dripping off the stalactites above them. What will happen now? Journalists were told to leave the immediate area by 9am (3am BST). Thai cave rescue update: The group has been trapped for two weeks Police announced on a loudspeaker at the muddy encampment: “Everyone who is not involved with the operations has to get out of the area immediately. “From the situation assessment, we need to use the area to help victims." Komsan Sa-ardluan, the Mae Sai police commander, added: “Assessing the situation now, it is necessary to evacuate the area for the rescue operation. “Those unrelated to the rescue operation, please evacuate the area immediately.” Thai cave rescue: Inside Tham Luang as divers try to save boys Thai cave rescue update: A map shows how treacherous the journey out the caves will be Michael Safi, a diver present at the cave site, told The Guardian the rescue operation will begin soon but did not give a specific time. He said all divers are currently at the site. Following the evacuation announcement, a rescue operation was launched and the first boys could emerge from the cave as early as 9pm local time (2pm GMT). Over the past couple of weeks, officials had been exploring different ways to get the boys out, including drilling down into the cave or looking at other entrances to the mountainside. Thai cave rescue update: Officials are ready to start getting the group out The rescue operation has become more urgent at heavy rainfall is on the way, so the flooding is set to get worse in the coming days. The group may have to do a mixture of walking, wading, climbing or diving to exit the cave. However, the first part of their journey will be the toughest, as it will involve long periods underwater to get through the narrow passages. The children have never used diving equipment before and some have had swimming lessons while they were inside the cave. The Thailand cave rescue in pictures Wed, July 11, 2018 Thailand cave rescue: Pictures show the dramatic rescue operation of a trapped youth football team and their coach. Play slideshow EPA 1 of 45 All 12 of the trapped football team and their coach have been rescued from a cave in Thailand<doc-sep>An ambulance leaves the Tham Luang cave area after divers evacuated some of the 12 boys and their coach trapped at the cave in Khun Nam Nang Non Forest Park in the Mae Sai district of Chiang Rai province on July 8, 2018. - Elite divers on July 8 began the extremely dangerous operation to extract 12 boys and their football coach who have been trapped in a flooded cave complex in northern Thailand for more than two weeks, as looming monsoon rains threatened the rescue effort. (Photo by LILLIAN SUWANRUMPHA / AFP) / (Photo credit should read LILLIAN SUWANRUMPHA/AFP/Getty Images) 12 boys and their coach all out of Thai cave Some of the boys who were trapped in a cave in Northern Thailand outside a hospital in Chiang Rai after being discharged. CHIANG RAI, THAILAND - JULY 18: Twelve boys and their coach from the "Wild Boars" soccer team arrive for a press conference for the first time since they were rescued from a cave in northern Thailand last week, on July 18, 2018 in Chiang Rai, Thailand. The 12 boys, aged 11 to 16, and their 25-year-old coach were discharged early from Chiang Rai Prachanukroh hospital after a speedy recovery and thanked those involved in their rescue. (Photo by Linh Pham/Getty Images) Correction: Earlier versions of this story misidentified a person named in the letter from Tun to his parents. Yod is not Tun's brother. (CNN) — The 12 Thai boys and their soccer coach trapped in a cave were finally able to send word to their parents after two weeks. Shortly afterward, some of their loved ones responded; others were not on site, so could not respond immediately. Thai navy SEALs posted images of handwritten notes from the boys – ages 11 to 16 – in which they comfort their families and share a sense of optimism. Local authorities shared their parents’ responses Saturday at the entrance of the cave. Here are the letters: Joint letter The group wrote a joint letter in bullet-point form: – Don’t worry, everybody is healthy – We really want to go out and eat so many types of food – When we get out, we want to go home right away – Teacher, don’t give us a lot of homework Tun (Titun) Mom, Dad, Don’t worry, I’m OK, please tell Yod to prepare to take me to eat fried chicken. Love you Titun’s parents Dear Titun, I’m waiting for you here at the cave entrance my brave son. I miss you. As you’re a strong and patient son, I believe that you will make it. We miss you. Love you, you are the only one for me. Mom and Dad Pong Love you Mom and Dad, don’t worry, I’m safe already. Love to everybody. Pong’s parents We are here waiting at the outside. Just be strong and take care of yourself well. We are here to give you a warm welcome hug. And we also want to say thank you to your coach for being so supportive taking care of the 12 kids. So don’t be so worried. Nick Mom, Dad, Nick loves both of you and younger sibling too. If I can get out, Mom, Dad, take me to eat moo kata. Nick loves Mom, Dad and younger sibling. Moo kata is a dish of pork on a hot plate. Nick’s parents We’ve been waiting and still waiting to meet you. Mark Mom, are you OK at home? Stay at home. I’m OK. Please tell my teacher too. Love Mom. (Numhom) Numhom means “perfume” in Thai and may be his mother’s nickname. Mark’s mom We are still waiting for you at the cave entrance. Please don’t be so down being there. We are waiting. Take care. Mick Don’t worry. I miss everybody, Grandfather, Auntie, Mom, Dad and brothers. I love everybody. I’m happy in here. The SEALs take really good care of me. I love everybody. Mick’s grandfather I want Coach Ake to strengthen his physically and mentally weak health soon. I’m still waiting in front of the entrance. For Mick, I hope you have good health there and don’t feel so down as nobody here blames you. Dom I’m fine, but the weather is quite cold. But don’t worry. But don’t forget my birthday. His birthday was July 3. Adul Now, don’t worry about us anymore. I miss everybody. I really need to go back home. Adul’s parents We really want to see you and we’ve been praying for you and all of your friends everyday hoping to meet you all so soon. And on the day that you all are rescued, I want you to say thank you to everyone involved in. Please believe in God and don’t be worried. We’ll be here till we meet. And for the coach, Ake, I want to say big thank you to you as you have devoted yourself in taking care of the kids. And I want you to be strong fighting against this hard time. I’m also waiting to bring you back home and to your loving family. Night Night loves Dad and Mom. Don’t worry about Night. Night loves everybody. Night’s parents We just want you to know that we are waiting to have a birthday party with you, my son. So please take care of yourself and we’ll celebrate together. Don’t be so worried. Now we are all here together with your grandparents and your cousins waiting for you. We love you. Tle Tle misses Dad and Mom. Really misses Wubwab too. Love Dad and Mom very much. Don’t worry about Tle. I can take care of myself. TIe’s parents We have been waiting for you all to come out. We, your mom and dad don’t feel mad at what you have done. Now just take care of yourself as it’s really damp and cold there. I’m a bit worried but I know we will meet soon. We are still waiting to see you again soon. Note I’m OK, don’t worry. I love Dad and Mom and everybody. Note’s mom We are here for you, and we just want you know that you have to take care of yourself. We really miss you. And please tell the coach we don’t blame him and don’t feel any guilty. Bew Don’t worry, Dad, Mom, Bew has just disappeared for only two weeks, I will go back and help Mom to sell every time I have a free day. I will rush to go back. Bew’s parents We miss you. Love you as always. Tee Don’t worry, I’m happy. I love Dad, Mom, younger sibling and family. Akkapol Chanthawong, the coach, writing to the boys’ parents Dear all the parents, All the kids are fine. There are people taking really good care of them. I promise I will take care of the children the best I can. Thank you for your support. I’m really sorry to the parents. Boys’ parents to the coach Dear Coach, Ake, We, as your soccer team member’s parents believe in you and your spirit that you’ve been taking a good care of our kids. We just want you to know that this is not your fault. We all here don’t blame you and just want you to not to blame yourself. We all understand all the situations that have happened and we are here supporting you. We appreciate all your loving support and care to our kids. We are waiting for the news that you all get back out of the cave safely soon. *Your aunt is also here waiting for you at the entrance. The coach to his family To my aunt and grandmother, I’m OK, don’t worry about me too much. Take care of your health. Aunt, please tell grandmother to make a vegetable drink and crispy pork when I get out. I will go and eat it. Love to everybody. From the medic team We want you to have strong health and mind to be ready for coming back home. And we reassure that we’ll take the best care of your parents. We’re sure you’ll be safe.<doc-sep>An ambulance leaves the Tham Luang cave area after divers evacuated some of the 12 boys and their coach trapped at the cave in Khun Nam Nang Non Forest Park in the Mae Sai district of Chiang Rai province on July 8, 2018. - Elite divers on July 8 began the extremely dangerous operation to extract 12 boys and their football coach who have been trapped in a flooded cave complex in northern Thailand for more than two weeks, as looming monsoon rains threatened the rescue effort. (Photo by LILLIAN SUWANRUMPHA / AFP) / (Photo credit should read LILLIAN SUWANRUMPHA/AFP/Getty Images) 12 boys and their coach all out of Thai cave Some of the boys who were trapped in a cave in Northern Thailand outside a hospital in Chiang Rai after being discharged. CHIANG RAI, THAILAND - JULY 18: Twelve boys and their coach from the "Wild Boars" soccer team arrive for a press conference for the first time since they were rescued from a cave in northern Thailand last week, on July 18, 2018 in Chiang Rai, Thailand. The 12 boys, aged 11 to 16, and their 25-year-old coach were discharged early from Chiang Rai Prachanukroh hospital after a speedy recovery and thanked those involved in their rescue. (Photo by Linh Pham/Getty Images) Expert mountaineering volunteers prepare to descend into an opening in the rock face to investigate if there is a route to the cave where the boys are. They are accompanied by National Park authority workers and Thai soldiers. (CNN) — Thai officials ruled out any immediate attempts to evacuate 12 football players and their coach trapped deep inside a system of caves in northern Thailand on Saturday despite concerns over low oxygen levels underground and poor weather forecasts. “No, not today,” Narongsak Osottanakorn, the governor of Chiang Rai province, said after being pressed by reporters on rescue efforts. Officials are considering a rescue plan involving a “buddy dive” – where an experienced adult diver would swim with each boy – to evacuate the team members, according to a US official familiar with the joint rescue operation. Thai divers would lead the mission and US divers would preposition oxygen tanks, the US official said. The rescue team also includes divers and workers from Australia, the United Kingdom, and other parts of Europe and Asia. Thai military officials have been briefed, the source said, and the country’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha was to be told about the plan Saturday morning. The rescue mission could begin as soon as the weekend, but no decision has been made whether to proceed, the US official said. Low oxygen levels On Friday, Thai Navy SEAL chief Rear Adm. Aphakorn Yoo-kongkaew said oxygen levels in the cave had dropped to 15%, a level that one Thai medic said posed a serious risk of hypoxia, the same condition that causes altitude sickness. Gov. Osottanakorn said “air is a major issue,” but added that UK experts had confirmed the conditions in the chamber where the children are located were “all right.” “The kids are still are able to walk around, play around comfortably,” he said. “If (there is) heavy rain and the situation is not good, we will try.” Some of the children’s parents have sent letters but the governor said he was was not sure if the trapped boys had read them. Authorities had originally suggested the safest strategy for the stricken team, aged 11 to 16, and their 25-year-old coach, would be to keep them in the Tham Luang Nang Non cave complex until the monsoon season had passed in October and water levels had subsided enough for them to walk out. More heavy rain is expected to fall over the weekend but the governor emphasized that rescuers would only try to free the team if the risk to their lives was minimal. “We are afraid of the weather and the (lack of) oxygen in the cave but we have to try to set the plan and find which plan is the best.” Related: What are the options for rescuing trapped team? Another possible rescue game plan One recovery strategy the rescuers have been pursuing includes fitting the group with full-face oxygen masks and accompanying them on a long, dangerous swim through the narrow, pitch-black tunnels. Osottanakorn said the group were already “learning to dive” but that they were not yet ready. It takes even the most experienced divers up to five hours to swim through jagged, narrow channels from where the boys are to safety outside. The UK divers who first reached the boys described their dive as “gnarly” and full of tight passages submerged in low-visability water. Linh Pham Scuba oxygen tanks being delivered to the cave rescue site on Sunday. Rescue teams above ground have drilled more than 100 holes in a bid to find a route to the trapped Thai cave boys, Osottanakorn said, but “it doesn’t look promising.” The US official said a plan to route oxygen into the chamber where the boys are was also called off due to challenge of routing cable through cave system. Rescuers under pressure The death of an experienced rescue diver in the cave system underlined the inherent risks in attempting to move the boys. Former Sgt. Saman Kunan, a Thai ex-SEAL, died at 2 a.m. Friday (2 p.m. Thursday ET), as he returned from an operation to deliver oxygen tanks to the cave where the boys are located. The 38-year-old ran out of air while underwater, an official said. A military aircraft carried Kunan’s body from Chiang Rai to Satthahip Navy Base, where a funeral service was scheduled to take place, before a second in his home town in the province of Roi Et, northern Thailand. Facebook Former Thai Navy SEAL Saman Kunan, who died in the Tham Luang Nang Non cave complex during a massive rescue operation to save 12 boys and their soccer coach. Finnish volunteer diver Mikko Paasi, a long-term resident of Thailand, said Kunan’s death had changed the mood on the ground and made real for rescuers just how dangerous the mission had become. “Definitely, you can feel it that it has an effect, but we’re moving on. Everyone is a professional so we’re trying to put it away and avoid it happening again,” he said, adding: “Everybody is focusing on getting these boys out – keeping them alive or getting them out.” One of Kunan’s longtime friends, Sgt. Anuram Kaewchano, told CNN he was shocked to learn the news. “I can’t believe this happened,” he told CNN by phone. “He was very fit, he exercised every day, and he was a triathlete. Our last trip together was to Malaysia.” He said that the last time the two spoke, “we talked about the kids – whether they were out yet.” The huge operation to rescue the group involves scores of Thai Navy SEALs, in addition to experts and volunteer divers from parts of Europe and Asia, as well as Australia and the US. Billionaire inventor and entrepreneur Elon Musk said engineers from his SpaceX & Boring Co. were headed to Thailand to see if they could help. International operation The members of the Wild Boar soccer team were reported missing on June 23 when they didn’t return from an outing after soccer practice. They entered the cave during fine weather but became trapped when a sudden downpour flooded the narrow tunnels. The 12 boys and their coach were found deep inside the cave by two British cave divers on Monday, perched on a rock slab above flood waters, after nine days without food or fresh water. Royal Thai Navy/AP Some of the trapped boys smile as a Thai Navy SEAL medic offers assistance inside the cave on Tuesday. Rescue teams have been pumping millions of liters of water from the cave in an attempt drain the cave but the impending weekend rains threaten to undermine the work. Related: Satellite images show rain forecast in Chiang Rai Thailand’s monsoon season runs from July to October and, while the past few days have been relatively dry, the long term forecast is rain for months.<doc-sep>
Thai cave: It'd take a YEAR to train boys to dive, says expert A dangerous rescue mission to free 12 schoolboys and their soccer coach trapped inside a Thai cave for two weeks began on Sunday, authorities said, with the first survivor to possibly emerge 11 hours later. Thirteen foreign divers and five members of Thailand's elite navy SEAL unit would attempt to bring the boys - some of whom are as young as 11 and not strong swimmers - through narrow, submerged passageways that claimed the life of a former Thai navy diver earlier this week. "Today is D-Day," Narongsak Osottanakorn, head of the rescue mission, told reporters. "At 10 am today (0300 GMT) 13 foreign divers went in to extract the children along with 5 Thai navy SEALs". He said the first boys could emerge from the cave at around 9 pm local time (1400 GMT). THAI CAVE RESCUE - LIVE UPDATES ON OPERATION The rescue mission began after rainshowers soaked the Tham Luang Cave area in northern Chiang Rai province for the past 24 hours, heightening the risks in what the governor has called a "war with water and time" to save the team. The boys, aged between 11 and 16, went missing with their 25-year-old coach after soccer practice on June 23, setting out to explore the cave complex near the border with Myanmar. A mammoth response operation - including a medical unit, ambulance and helicopter for every boy - is waiting outside the cave for the team to emerge. How long until the team is saved? Narongsak said the boys could start to emerge as early as 9 pm on Sunday, but that there was "no time limit". Thai cave rescue operation: Divers and soldiers have begun the evacuation mission Thai cave rescue operation" Divers will bring the boys out one by one He added the rescue operation could take about two days - but could also be halted at any time. He went on: “There’s no time limit for the operation.” “It depends on the weather. It depends on the water levels. If something changes we’ll stop. “But I expect the operation to finish in the next couple of days.” The Thailand cave rescue in pictures Wed, July 11, 2018 Thailand cave rescue: Pictures show the dramatic rescue operation of a trapped youth football team and their coach. Play slideshow EPA 1 of 45 All 12 of the trapped football team and their coach have been rescued from a cave in Thailand Thai authorities have said they had a three to four day window to extract the boys from the cave before monsoon rain risks keeping them stranded until late January. An Australian doctor, who is part of Sunday's rescue mission, checked the health of the boys last night and gave the all clear for the rescue to proceed, Narongsak said. To escape, the children must dive through dark, narrow passageways sometimes no more than two-feet (0.6- meter) wide, that have challenged some of the world's leading cave divers. The Thai government today released a graphic about the operation to rescue the 12 boys and their coach from Ttham Luang Cave. Thai cave rescue: Officials released the rescue operation plan