The ordeal began on June 23,when the team went exploring in the Tham Luang cave after practice. They had hiked about 2 miles into the underground cave when a monsoon struck and quickly flooded many of the cave’s passageways, cutting off the team’s exit route and leaving no way out. The team scrambled to safety on a ledge inside the cave, where they watched the murky waters rise—and hoped that help would arrive soon.
A few hours after the team entered the cave, searchers found their bikes and soccer cleats near the entrance. Officials realized that the team was probably trapped inside, but locating the athletes would not be easy.
Divers from the Thai Navy SEALs and other rescue groups began frantically searching. Soon, other countries, including the United States, sent more teams in to help. The specially trained divers searched the vast cave system while rescuers pumped water out of the cave.
Two British divers finally located the soccer team 10 days after they had disappeared. After days with no food and only tiny sips of water from the walls of the cave, the team members were weak and hungry. But amazingly, they were all still alive.
Officials were not sure how to get the team out of the cave safely. Waiting for the floodwaters to go down was one option, but that could take months, and there were more monsoons in the forecast.
Another idea was to give the boys diving gear and have divers lead them through the water. But that would be risky: Some of the passageways were very narrow, and few of the team members knew how to swim.
While experts figured out a rescue plan, Thai Navy SEALs brought food and oxygen tanks to the team, and a doctor and several divers stayed inside the cave with the athletes. The players were even able to send letters out to their families.
“Dad, Mom don’'t worry about me,” wrote 11-year-old Chanin Viboonrungruang. “I am fine. Please tell (my aunt) to take me to eat fried chicken. Love you all.”