A Navy SEAL working with an international rescue team to save a soccer team stuck in a cave in Thailand has died, local authorities said. The diver, identified as Saman Kunan, died from lack of oxygen at 1 a.m. on Friday. Thai SEALs have praised Kunan for volunteering to help the rescue efforts and said they will continue and "w on’t let our colleagues die for nothing." A former Thai Navy SEAL died early Friday while placing oxygen tanks in the cave where a Thai soccer team has been stuck for nearly two weeks. The volunteer diver, who has been identified as 38-year-old Saman Kunan, died from a lack of oxygen early around 1 a.m. on Friday morning. "His job was to deliver oxygen. He did not have enough on his way back," Chiang Rai Deputy Governor Passakorn Boonyaluck told reporters. "It was sad news." The former SEAL had been delivering oxygen along the cave in which 12 soccer players and their coach are located. On his return he lost consciousness, was found by his buddy and received first aid but subsequently died. Oxygen levels in the cave in Chiang Rai have dropped during the rescue effort, which rescuers have become concerned about. Shayanne Gal/Business Insider Each diver reportedly needs to carry three heavy oxygen tanks to the boys' cave but the path is treacherous, winding, and long, taking skilled divers around five hours each way. Despite the death, divers will continue to provide the soccer players with oxygen and the plan is still for the boys to swim out of the cave with divers. "We have to try everything," a spokesman quoted by The Guardian said when asked about the rescue plan for the boys. More than 100 Thai Navy SEALS are working on the rescue mission as well as divers from Australia, the US, UK, China, and other countries. Kunan's body has been sent to Bangkok and Thailand's king has announced the former SEAL will receive a royally-sponsored funeral. Thai SEAL commander Arpakorn Yookongkaew has said the tragedy won't stop the rescue mission. "We will soldier on," he said. "We won’t let our colleagues die for nothing." Thai Navy SEALS released a statement on Facebook on Friday praising their former colleague. When the rescue mission for the soccer team was announced a number of former SEALS in a group chat sent around the message "See you in Chiang Rai," according to a translation of the post by The Guardian.<doc-sep>The long-running effort to save children in Thailand's Tham Luang Nang Non cave claimed its first victim on Friday, when a former Thai Navy SEALs member died of lack of oxygen. The rescuer, identified as a 37-year-old Saman Gunan, was working as a volunteer, SEAL commander Arpakorn Yookongkaew told a news conference on Friday morning. Saman died while diving to place oxygen canisters along a potential route for the upcoming extraction attempt. However, he ran out of oxygen himself and lost consciousness while trying to return. Why it was so difficult to extricate Thai cave boys Happy ending after harrowing ordeal After deliberating over how best to rescue the boys and their coach - considering even whether to teach them how to dive, or wait for the monsoon waters to recede months later - rescue workers finally settled on pumping out as much water as possible, sedating those trapped and strapping them to a diver who shepherded them to safety. Why it was so difficult to extricate Thai cave boys Found alive after nine days Rescue divers initially found the 12 young soccer players and their coach alive on July 3 after they went missing in a Thai cave 10 days earlier. Fighting against time, rain and low oxygen levels, rescuers managed to free the first four boys successfully on July 8. The rescuers faced a complicated and dangerous diving mission to free the rest of the team and their coach. Why it was so difficult to extricate Thai cave boys Glimpse of joy Families of the teenage soccer players expressed their joy over the discovery of the boys nine days after they went missing. Outside the cave, the mother of one of the boys said she was "glad" for a glimpse of her son. "He's thinner," she said, as she ran her finger over the image of her son on a television screen. Why it was so difficult to extricate Thai cave boys Massive rescue efforts Thai rescuers were assisted by an international team comprising experts from China, Australia, the USA and Britain. A video from the Thai Navy SEAL Facebook page showed the group several kilometers inside the 10-kilometer (6-mile) cave network on a small wedge of dry ground. The boys moved 400 meters further in as the ledge had become covered by water. Why it was so difficult to extricate Thai cave boys Trapped by flooding The boys, aged 11 to 16, and their 25-year-old coach entered the cave to celebrate one of the player's birthday. They became trapped in the cave, a local tourist spot where similar incidents have taken place in the past, when sudden rainfall flooded its entry on June 23. It was later reported that some of the boys could not swim, further complicating the rescue. Why it was so difficult to extricate Thai cave boys A difficult mission The rescue mission proved difficult for divers whose efforts were continually hampered by rising water that filled sections of the cave, often forcing them to stop. Getting trained divers into the cave was easier than getting untrained kids out. Why it was so difficult to extricate Thai cave boys Boys' safety paramount The entire nation was glued to the media coverage of the rescue mission, and Thai authorities insisted they will not compromise on the safety of the trapped group. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha (above, at right) thanked international experts who helped find the boys. Why it was so difficult to extricate Thai cave boys First boys rescued The first four boys were rescued by a team of 13 foreign diving experts and Thai Navy SEALS, who helped them navigate the flooded cave tunnels. The head of the rescue operation said they were the healthiest in the group. The rest of the boys and their coach would be rescued from the cave over the next two days. Why it was so difficult to extricate Thai cave boys Safe and sound Doctors who treated the boys after their rescue reported that while they had lost weight, the otherwise appeared to be in good health. The dozens of divers and hundreds of other rescue workers have been celebrated around the world as heroes, especially 38-year-old former Thai Navy SEAL Saman Kunan, who died after bringing the group supplies of air on July 5. "We are trained to expect risks at anytime," Arpakorn said. "It's part of the job." "But even though we have lost one man, we still have faith to carry out our work." Time limited The children remained trapped in the underground complex as authorities mull over ways to extract them. It takes divers 11 hours to get to where the boys are and back to the cave entrance. The diver's death serves as a reminder of the risks that the boys face. When asked how the children could be extracted safely, given that an ex-SEAL lost his life while attempting the journey, Arpakorn said the rescuers would take more precautions with children. He also said there may be little choice but to effect a rescue due to the threat from flooding during the monsoon rains. "At first, we thought the children could stay for a long time ... but now things have changed, we have a limited time," Apakorn said. Few of the boys are able to swim, and none of them have any diving experience. Thailand's Navy SEALs boast close links, including joint elements of training, with the US Navy SEALs. Watch video 00:40 Thailand: Window for cave rescue narrows dj,jm/ng (dpa, AFP, AP) Each evening at 1830 UTC, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here.<doc-sep>CHIANG RAI, Thailand -- A former member of the Thai navy's elite SEAL unit who volunteered to help his old comrades in their risky mission to evacuate a dozen boys and their soccer coach trapped in a cave has become the first casualty of the massive rescue effort.The death of former Petty Officer 1st Class Saman Gunan early Friday morning during an underwater swim in the partly flooded cave struck a particularly deep chord with Thais, because he was a volunteer on a humanitarian mission that has riveted the nation's attention for two weeks. And as is the case with elite military units all over the world, Thailand's SEALs were quick to pay their own heartfelt tribute to their fallen friend. "See you in Chiang Rai," was the can-do salutation in a memorial message from other retired SEALs that was forwarded to their buddies in active service at the Tham Luang Nang Non cave in northern Thailand. "The determination and dedication of Saman will always be in all of our frogmen hearts. Today Saman rests. We will complete this mission, just as Saman intended," they vowed, signing off with a battle cheer adopted from the U.S. Navy: "Hooyah Hooyah Hooyah. "The statement said that Saman was a member of their 30th class who resigned to work as a security officer at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport since 2006. "He is a SEAL member who had knowledge, skill, was an athletic triathlon, and enjoyed adventure sports," it said. "Even when he left the department, he still loved and bonded with his SEAL team brothers, no matter what activity the SEAL team held, Saman would always participate in activities, right until his last minute. ""Saman left us while working with his SEAL team brothers at a time where all frogmen put their arms around each other and move forward to complete the mission that is set. "Navy SEAL commander Rear Adm. Arpakorn Yookongkaew separately explained the ethic driving the SEALs' mission and why Saman's death would not deter them from their course. "We have been trained to always be dealing with risks," he said. "Therefore, whether it's sickness or death, they are things that we are always facing because that's how we're trained. I want to confirm that we have never lost morale, and are still in high spirits. We will not let our fallen brother die in vain. "Arpakorn told reporters Saman's role was to place oxygen canisters on the route within the cave the active SEALs are using to reach the trapped boys. "When Saman placed the canisters he was on his way back and while he was returning he had lost consciousness. His buddy partner tried to give him first aid but when those efforts did not succeed he was brought back to chamber three," referring to part of the cave that has become a staging area for the operation. "And when he reached chamber three, we tried to care for him some more but he lost consciousness and never regained it so we sent him to the hospital," said Arpakorn.Saman was 38 and is survived by his wife, his colleagues said.He also left behind a selfie video taken on June 30, just before boarding the navy plane that took him north for his final mission. "Loaded all my stuff on to the plane. I'm ready to fly to Chiang Rai," he says, while also noting who else was on the flight. "See you at Tham Luang in Chiang Rai," says Saman. "May good luck be on our side to bring the boys back home."<doc-sep>
Former Thai navy SEAL dies while supplying soccer team trapped in flooded cave originally appeared on abcnews.go.com A former Thai navy SEAL died on Friday working to deliver supplies to the soccer team trapped in a cave in Thailand. The rescuer passed out and died from a lack of oxygen while on a mission supplying oxygen canisters, authorities told the Associated Press. SEAL commander Arpakorn Yookongkaew said at a news conference the rescuer was working as a volunteer and efforts to revive him failed, adding, "Despite this, we will continue until we accomplish our mission." The BBC identified the diver as 38-year-old Saman Gunan. His death was confirmed around 2 a.m. local time. A post to the Facebook page of the Thai navy SEALS mourning Gunan read in part: "He resigned from the military and had worked as a patrol officer at the Suvarnabhumi Airport since 2006. He was a very capable SEAL and a triathlete who liked adventure sports. Although he resigned from the unit, he still loved and had a good connection with all the SEALs. ... Even the last part of his life, 1st Petty Officer Saman left us and this world while working with the SEAL brothers who are also trying to go forward and complete the mission as planned. "His determination and good intention will always be in the heart of all SEAL brothers. Today, you get some good rest. We will complete the mission for you." PHOTO: Rescue teams walk inside cave complex where 12 boys and their soccer coach went missing, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, July 2, 2018. (Tham Luang Rescue Operation Center via AP) (MORE: A look inside the rescue effort to save soccer team trapped inside Thailand cave) (MORE: Monsoon rains could damper rescue efforts to save soccer team in Thailand cave) (MORE: Experts cast doubt on proposed plan to have trapped soccer team scuba dive out of Thailand cave) PHOTO: Map shows the location where the missing soccer team and their coach were found. (Reuters/Newscom) The death of an experienced diver highlights just how difficult it may be to extract the 13 who are trapped. One escape plan called for having the boys scuba dive to safety. Authorities are trying to pump water from the flooded cave, in which 12 boys and their coach have been trapped since June 23. More rains are forecast for the region and could complicate further rescue efforts. "The environment inside the cave is challenging," Yookongkaew said. "We can no longer wait for all conditions [to be met] because circumstance is pressing us. We originally thought the boys can stay safe inside the cave for quite some time, but circumstances have changed. We have limited amount of time." ABC News' Joohee Cho, Matt Gutman, Aicha El Hammar, James Longman, Matt McGarry, Scott Shulman and Robert Zepeda contributed to this report.