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When a Thai military unit had finished disassembling a section of water pumps that had proved so crucial in the successful operation, they jumped into their open-top vehicle near the Tham Luang caves Wednesday, smiling triumphantly at the crowd of enthusiastic supporters who had stayed to give their heroes a good expedition.
Now that the mission is over and the boys are recovering at the hospital, we can tell the whole story of the remarkable rescue.
In the days following the disappearance of the boys, the rescuers had no idea where they were, or if they were still alive. SEAL experts from the Thai Navy, experienced in conventional diving situations, have faced an unprecedented challenge.
Addressing CNN on Wednesday, Thai Navy Commander Adm Arpakorn Yookongkaew recalls these initial challenges. The sinuous caverns of an unknown cave were already a worry. At the first evaluation of the scene, "our hope of finding boys was less," he said.
Once they landed in Bangkok, and took the short internal flight north, the trio took an exploratory dive. But the flood had become much worse at that time. They were faced with the enormity of the task
"At this point, there was no way to approach the boys, the conditions were really bad, the flow of Water was very strong and the suspended sediments made visibility very low.To be fair, the chances of going far were not high, "Whitehouse said.
"Like driving in the fog with your headlights on"
"Whenever speleologist divers enter a passage for the first time, they use a finger and a thumb to make sure they" Under the water, it's completely dark, you have a lot of lights on your head, but there is a lot of mud and sediment in suspension, you do not see much … headlights on. "
But it's only on their third attempt penetrating the caves on July 2 that Volanthen and Stanton stumbled upon the boys. Volanthen had reached the end of his guiding line, had it fixed in muddy waters and had emerged at an amazing sight.
Facing him, on a ledge about one meter above the water, were 12 boys and their trainer. "How many of you," he asked them. "Thirteen," answered one of the boys.
"Awesome", answered Volanthen
It was an incredible moment, says Whitehouse.
"The only thing is that once we found them, we started thinking, now what?"
Yookongkaew said The original plan was to keep the boys and their trainer inside the cave for a month or more, while the rescuers found a way to get them out, maybe via another entrance or until the water levels fall
a small muddy ledge of 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) inside the cave complex, surrounded by waters of raw and with a limited supply of oxygen, and which exhausted quickly.
Lack of time
risky. Some of the on-site divers described the conditions as the most extreme that they had ever faced, and the boys did not know how to dive, let alone swim.
"The boys would not stay alive in the room, but if you try a risky operation and they die, would you have done better to leave them there and hope for it? that the waters drain? Whitehouse said:
As rescuers reflected on the best course of action, four Thai divers stayed with the boys, stabilizing their health and gradually reintroducing them into the food.
The decision to move the boys was not taken lightly. It was complicated by the death of Saman Kunan, a former Thai Navy member, on July 6, who ran out of air returning from an operation to deliver oxygen tanks to the cave
. the mission had become.
Yookongkaew called Kunan "a hero for the Thai and the rest of the world."
But there was little time to mourn the loss.
Monsoon rains were an imminent threat and it became clear that there was no other way to get the kids out.
Whitehouse organized two other cavers – Chris Jewell and Jason Mallison – and three support staff to go to Thailand with new equipment. He bought children's dive masks and harnesses from a company in France. A UK supplier drove from the exit to the exit to get all that was needed after realizing that he had little stock left
Meanwhile in Thailand, divers were practicing parts of the river. # 39; operation with local school children in a nearby pool. Thirteen foreign divers, including a doctor, joined five Thai Navy divers for the initial rescue.
The boys received 5mm diving suits, a face mask and air bottles while other divers in case one of the boys would fight.
The boys were divided into groups of four. Each boy was taken away by two divers, who carried their oxygen tanks and guided them through dark tunnels. Each rescue lasted several hours, mostly under water.
The most dangerous part of the trip outside the cave system was the first kilometer (0.62 miles) during which they were forced to sneak into a narrow flooded canal.
After completing this section, the boys were then handed over to specialized rescue teams, who moved them through the rest of the cave, from which they were able to cross a large part.
and Tuesday, until the entire team and their coach are safe
It is reported that children were sedated during the operation. The officials are suspicious about this.
"We had to use the means that could prevent children from panicking while we were doing them," said Yookongkaew, adding that he was not going to add any details about this part of the Operation other than this one.
"More importantly, they are alive and safe," he said.
Now the boys are in an isolation room at the hospital, gradually regaining their strength. Over the next few days, when doctors are confident that they will not be infected, they will be able to talk to their parents in the same room. Meanwhile, as global efforts continue and exhausted rescuers return home, Thailand celebrates a result that seems a little miraculous.
CNN's David McKenzie and Kocha Olarn contributed to this report.
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