Twelve children and one adult were trapped in underground caves in northern Thailand on June 23rd, and a rescue mission is still taking place to bring the victims home. It is rainy season in Thailand at the moment, with torrential downpours that appear out of nowhere dominating the weather patterns. According to NBC News, the twelve boys, ages 11 to 16, and their 25-year old coach entered the caves two weeks ago but were trapped after rain caused flooding. They were missing for nine days before being discovered by British divers last week.
Four boys were rescued from the underground caves on Sunday, bringing the total number of recovered children to eight. The distance from where the crew is trapped to the main entrance is about a half a mile, and the boys had to travel most of that distance underwater to reach freedom. Without artificial lighting, the caves are pitch black, and it is a miracle that the coach and his kids have survived this long in cold flooded caves in the dark. Officials are constantly pumping water out of the caves, and Sunday gave the rescue crews the best chance of recovering more survivors after days of decent weather and pumping reduced flood levels. Last Friday, one former Thai Navy Seal died while placing oxygen tanks deep within the caves. Rescue crews are worried about the amount of air the trapped children are using, which is being drained rapidly. The rescue mission is still underway.