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MAE SAI, Thailand (AP) – Rescuers crossed a major hurdle on Sunday in the increasingly desperate search for 12 boys and their soccer coach who disappeared into a cave in northern Thailand. more than a week. A team led by SEAL divers from the Thai Navy pushed through the murmur of a one kilometer long chamber to a passage that could lead to the place where the missing could be sheltered, said the commander of SEAL, Adm. Arpakorn. Yookongkaew
But Arpakorn said that although divers have made some progress in their efforts to find the missing, they are not yet where they want to be.
"It's still difficult because the water current is pretty strong." The missing boys, aged 11 to 16, and their 25-year-old coach entered the sprawling Tham Luang Nang cave in Chiang Rai Province after playing football on June 23. They have apparently been trapped inside by floods by heavy rains and have not been heard since.
The diver's were stuck again and again by muddy water rising to the ceiling of the room, forcing them to retreat for safety reasons. When water levels dropped, divers took a more methodical approach, deploying a line of rope and additional oxygen reserves throughout the course. Teams that swam Sunday included SEALs, Australian divers and rescuers from the Thai city of Ayutthaya.
The effort had rebounded since Sunday, when divers appeared to have made little progress
"Today, we have made good progress," It was an improvement positive, very positive, "said the governor of Chiang Rai, Narongsak Osatanakorn to reporters
.The aim of the divers is to visit a cave area known as Pattaya Beach. of the cave has a higher elevation, and the authorities hope that it will remain dry and that the 13 missing will take refuge there.
The search was slow, mainly because the rescuers prevented the rescuers The pumping of water out of the cave did not solve the problem, so other teams sought to divert the groundwater.
D & # 39; other efforts have been made to find sinks on the mountainside which will be can be used as a back door for blocked areas. the missing can shelter.
Teams passed the side of the mountain looking for cracks that could lead to such wells. Several have been found and explorers have been able to descend into some, but until now it is not clear if they lead to any where useful.
"We looked at all the areas and it was reported at about 20, and from there are about 10 with the possibility of having wells," said Governor Narongsak. "But for the moment, we have reduced to two. Today, we work inside these two wells."
Experts in cave rescue around the world continued to gather at the site. An official Australian group has now followed a US military team, British cave experts, Chinese lifesavers and several other groups of volunteers from different countries.
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