Rescuers look for 'hidden passage' as boys trapped in cave say they can hear animals
As Thai navy seals continue to give their crash courses in swimming and diving to the 12 schoolboys and their soccer coach trapped in a cave, it’s been revealed there may be another way out.
Rescue teams initially didn’t plan to rush the boys and their coach out, but heavy rains forecasted for later this week are threatening to push forward those plans.
But the boys have now told rescue teams, including expert diver Claus Rasmussen, that during their nine days trapped in the Tham Luang Nang Non cave in northern Chiang Rai, they have heard dogs barking, roosters crowing and children playing.
According to CNN, crews are now looking at if there is a hidden passage that they may be able to access rather than the incredibly dangerous alternative – a crash course in scuba diving.
The teammates, who were trapped inside when heavy rains flooded the cave, were found by rescue divers Monday night during a desperate search that drew assistance from experts around the globe.
Cave rescue experts initially said it could be safest to simply supply the boys where they are for now, and wait for the water to go down. That could take months, however, given that Thailand’s rainy season typically lasts through October.
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Experienced divers are wary of taking out the boys through the dark and dangerous waters still in the cave, especially since they are untrained.
“We are talking kilometres of transport under the water with zero visibility,” said Claus Rasmusen, a certified cave diving instructor based in Thailand who has been helping Thai SEAL team with logistics. “It’s difficult.”
Authorities said the boys, who had also been shown Tuesday in a video shot by the British diver who discovered them, were being looked after by seven members of the Thai navy SEALs, including medics, who were staying with them inside the cave.
They were mostly in stable condition and have received high-protein drinks.
In the most recent video, a navy SEAL is shown treating minor cuts on the feet and legs of the boys with antibiotic ointment. Several of the boys are seen smiling as they interact with the navy SEAL, who cracks jokes.
Seeing the boys has boosted the mood of their family members, and officials are working to install an internet cable to the cave so that parents can talk to their children.
