Thai Cave Rescue: Update - Final mission underway

[canetoad]

Final mission underway

Thai authorities have confirmed today’s rescue mission began at 10.08 this morning (local time), with 19 divers going in.

Despite the heavy rain overnight, conditions in the cave haven’t changed much.

Michael Safi reports there was applause in the room as the rescue chief, Narongsak Osatanakorn, the head of the joint command centre coordinating the operation, announced the four boys and their coach will be brought out in the one mission.

https://www.theguardian.com/news/live/2018/jul/10/thai-cave-rescue-third-mission-planned-to-bring-out-remaining-boys-and-coach-live-updates

------------------------
This, hopefully final rescue mission began about two hours ago. Within a couple of hours the rescue divers should reach the remaining five and begin to extract them from the cave. If all goes well I guess they could be out in about six hours from now.

[Iliyah]

1. K & R

[Docreed2003]

2. K&R

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. Such hopeful news! May they all come safely out. n/t

[Leghorn21]

4. Thank you, toad.

Best good wishes to all the kids and dear coach and unbelievable divers and workers and cooks and water pumpers and drivers and doctors and oxygen suppliers and the press, and all the people of beautiful Thailand, and - the rest of us, too.

...in honor of Saman Gunan, volunteer ex-Thai Seal, who died last Thursday aiding those in such terrible need:

[sprinkleeninow]

25. 🕯

[Judi Lynn]

34. May that good man rest in peace.

[secondwind]

5. Such wonderful news coming out of Thailand!!

[Demovictory9]

6. ..

[grantcart]

7. Watching Thai official press conference

( I visited the outer part of this cave in 1991)

First 4 kids who are improving well but still in isolation. Parents visited today with glass partition. If tests remain negative families will be allowed in to see them tomorrow.

They are expected to go home in a week

[grantcart]

8. Talking about the third group

They were ready very early and started at 10 am

19 divers are positioned in place to take them out

( they are showing dozens of tanks in place on a split screen)

[grantcart]

9. The third group includes 9 people

4 kids
Coach ek
Doctor who stayed from the first day
3 Thai navy seals who stayed from the first day they found them

Seems like they left 3 hours ago

Press conference at Mae Sai over

[grantcart]

10. Now watching press doctors press conference at Chiang Rai hospital

First group is transitioning to soft good, rice porridge

No fever, no infections, eyes are being protected as they readjust to light.

All 8 in hospital good condition no fever getting visits from family behind glass.

[Leghorn21]

12. Oh, holy cow, g!! I didn't know anyone stayed with them in the cave!!! At one point I kind of

“wondered” if maybe someone had stayed with them, but that’s as far as I got - upon reading this, I can only slap my forehead and thing omg, what an idiot I am!!!!

Oh, but this is GREAT, because those extra 4 people are all professionals and can teach their skills to these kids and coach Ek about what the trip out will be like, and soothe and calm them and wow, a doctor to boot

———————FANTASTIC

[grantcart]

15. They had one doctor who was not only an experienced scuba driver

And experienced in cave.

Not sure who the 3 others are but one may gave been a nutrionist

It is confirmed 19 divers are helping a total of 9 people leaving.

First 4 took 11 hours to make the trip

Second group had kids with better health and took 9 hours.

[Leghorn21]

18. Thanks, g - I was so very happy when I read this morning that they had shaved "2 hours" off

their round trip total!! Under these circumstances, that must feel like “2 weeks”!!!

A few hours ago, it was raining like hell, but last I read, it had eased up.....

I just sure do feel so much better knowing that our poor cave kids and coach Ek are living 24/7 with solid (kind, comforting, caring, dedicated) professional hero/helpers!!! Thank you again!!

[canetoad]

14. Ta for the update

The doctor was personally requested by the Brit divers and seems to have a unique skill-set. It's about 1.20 in Thailand - they're three hours behind us.

"He's been diving for over 30 years, and readily embraced advances in diving technology to better help him explore and photograph caves in Australia and overseas," Mr Strike told Fairfax Media.

"In the past few years, he's been involved in cave-diving explorations in Australia, China, Christmas Island and New Zealand. He has an active interest in diving safety and accident investigation.

"Quite apart from his own cave exploration experiences, as an anaesthetist and a medical professional who is also involved in retrieval medicine, he has always struck me as a person who is capable of calmly assessing any situation and then acting appropriately.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/the-australian-doctor-playing-a-key-role-in-thai-cave-rescue-20180708-p4zq9r.html

[Leghorn21]

35. Hey look, I'm not the only ignernt one:

I haven't realized that one doctor and three #ThaiNavySEAL have been staying inside the cave with those boys since they were found until today! Salute to their courageous heart and sacrifice! #ThaiCaveRescue #ThailandCaveRescue

Link to tweet

Me and Ramillah are totally fkn THRILLED
———not kidding

[grantcart]

11. They are now showing pictures of Elon Musk who personally arrived

With his collapseable underwater bag

Won't be used this time but he donatedbit for possible future use.

[Leghorn21]

13. Photos of crew; video the woman who looks after their laundry and some dear cooks:

Link to tweet

[canetoad]

17. Thanks for the pix Leghorn

When the rescue began and everyone, including media were cleared from the cave entrance, a person or two here suggested there was something to hide. Not so. An ambulance and possibly a helicopter was on hand for each of the trapped people; it was a quagmire. I don't blame the Thais in charge for clearing the area.

[Leghorn21]

22. Absolutely, toad - all these workers need to COMMUNICATE and move FAST, and non-essential

personnel do NOT need to be there cloggin up this well-oiled rescue machine!!!

[Leghorn21]

16. Good eats from amazing volunteer cooks!

this is from yesterday:

Link to tweet

And this is from a few hours ago - fine grub for the SEALS:

[grantcart]

20. If you go to a Thai temple in the US during a special day this what you will see.

[Leghorn21]

23. Have mercy, g, I'm ready to just pack a bag and go ahead and move to Thailand!!! This country

and its people are giving me a desperately-needed spiritual experience!!

NOT KIDDING!!!

[grantcart]

19. They have run out of hard news

We heard about the soft food and family visits behind glass so they are throwing up filler.

Elon Musk made a very big impression by personally going to the cave.

They are showing Zuckerberg face book post

But this is actually funny, some Japanese TV station has done a movie reconstruction with child actors in a cave and the water coming and a lot camera shaking like the Godzilla movies in the 70s so they showed about 5 minutes of that.

Nothing else will be known until they start coming out.

[Leghorn21]

37. Hi g, thank you SO much for the story of your bride and you on that fateful flight that day!! WOW

It’s fairy-tale stuff, and yet - it happened!!

I just came upon this, which you have probably already seen, but these are those last four fellas who stayed in the cave that nobody knew about except YOU!!!

[ribrepin]

21. Godspeed

[Scurrilous]

24. K&R

[Leghorn21]

26. Water pumpers on the job (via sheshe); a fine idea to help farmers whose crops are now flooded:

An idea: someone from Thailand should start a merchandise store ( for example: t-shirts with the drawings posted online, mugs etc.) to raise money for the farmers whose fields were flooded with the cave water. They will have no income this year.
#thamluangcave
#thaicaverescue

Link to tweet

[backtoblue]

38. Wonderful idea to help those selfless farmers!!!!

[Leghorn21]

39. It really is, blue! I hope someone can move on this before the idea is stolen by carnivores who

would market stuff and pocket the proceeds, eh?? I myself would LOVE to have me a “Wild Boar” coffee mug and t-shirt, for starters!

“Team Wild Boar”?

“Wild Boars Rule”?

“Wild Boars Own Me”?

Fingers crossed the right person picks this up and - well, SAVES THE FARMERS, god bless em!!

[backtoblue]

40. I like "Team Wild Boars"

I would buy a T-shirt for sure!

[blogslut]

27. Here's a live feed from a Thai television station

I have no idea if it's legit but here it is:

[grantcart]

36. They were relaying the same feed I was watching and translating

The first conference on the clip was the one with the doctors from the Chiang Rai hospital.

[Leghorn21]

28. It ain't nuthin but work, man

...BUT IT’S ALL GOOD

thank you, workers, haulers, shovelers, carriers, and movers

[Raine]

29. Hopes & prayers for them

may they all come out safe and sound.

[Mike Nelson]

30. Nice to see this...

… sorry the Donald and his SC pick have taken over the news, here.

[Judi Lynn]

31. Thank you, so much for posting this info., canetoad.

Have been thinking about them, turned on MSNBC, they're not covering it, was completely in the dark about how to find out.

Hoping so hard, like everyone here, that everyone involved will be safe, and make it out.

Very kind of you.

[canetoad]

33. No problems Judi

Timewise, they are only three hours behind us and Aussie media are all over this, so the reports are pretty contemporaneous. I'm glued to four screens, wishing for the best outcome.

Added: Link to ABC News. http://www.abc.net.au/news/

[Laffy Kat]

32. Godspeed. nt