Displaying items by tag: Cave Rescue

The rescue saw miracles from beginning to end. First of all, divers travelled underwater trailing a rope for their return route. The rope was too short, and when the divers raised their heads above the water surface they stared directly at the boys stranded on a ledge above. Had they gone any further, they would have missed them. Then, just hours after the last boys and their young coach had been rescued, the pumps failed and the water levels rapidly increased. Give thanks also for the devotion of the coach as he sought to keep the boys calm by meditation. Pray now for the recovery of the survivors, that they will not have flashbacks, nightmares or any fears of confined space, but rather that they will experience post-traumatic growth. PTG happens when a traumatic experience changes lives positively. If so, they will have positive futures as they grow into confident young men with a higher psychological level of functioning. Pray also for the family of the diver who died in the rescue.

Efforts continue to extract a Thai youth football team (aged 11-16) and their 25-year-old coach from a flooded cave in Thailand.  Water is being pumped out and officials hope the lowered water levels  will mean the boys could keep their heads above water and not rely on scuba apparatus to escape the cave in which they have been trapped for 12 days. Rescuers are battling against the clock to beat monsoon rains expected on 7 July. At the time of writing (5 July) the water levels have reduced by around 40% but parts of the passageway leading to where the boys and coach were found are still flooded all the way to the ceiling - leaving diving out of the cave the only option for survival if the water levels are not reduced quickly. They want to reduce the water enough for them to scramble out, walk and perhaps do a little diving.