Trapped in a Cave

Deep inside the pitch-dark cave, 12 young soccer players stood with their coach. The boys had spent a thrilling afternoon exploring a giant cave called Tham Luang Nang Non. It was a few miles outside their hometown in northern Thailand, a country in Southeast Asia.

Now they were hiking back out. But they needed to hurry. It was June 23, 2018. One of the players, a boy named Night, was having his 17th birthday party soon. There was just one problem. Choppy water swirled ahead of them, blocking their way out of the cave.

The boys were confused. When they had come through the passageway earlier, it had been dry.

Then they realized the awful truth: The cave had flooded, and they were trapped inside.

Deep inside the pitch-dark cave, 12 young soccer players stood with their coach. The boys had spent a fun afternoon exploring a giant cave. It was called Tham Luang Nang Non. It was a few miles outside their hometown in northern Thailand. That’s a country in Southeast Asia.

Now the boys were hiking back out. But they needed to hurry. It was June 23, 2018. One of the players, named Night, was having his 17th birthday party soon. There was just one problem. Choppy water swirled ahead of them. It blocked their way out of the cave.

The boys were confused. That same passageway had been dry earlier.

Then they realized the awful truth: The cave had flooded. And they were trapped inside.

Earlier that day, the boys on the Wild Boars soccer team had been joking around after practice. None could have imagined the day would end in disaster. Though they were of different ages and went to different schools, the Wild Boars were all good friends. And they were close with their assistant coach, Ekkapol Chantawong, nicknamed “Coach Ek.” Coach Ek often organized outdoor trips for them, like this one to the Tham Luang cave.

The boys scarfed down some snacks and hopped on their bikes. Soon, they were winding through farmland and into the mountains. At the mouth of the cave, they set down their bikes and swapped their cleats for flip-flops.

They walked past a faded sign warning visitors not to enter during the rainy season, because the cave floods. The boys were sure they were safe though. The heavy rains were still weeks away.

But a changing climate has been making the seasons less predictable. And in the days leading up to June 23, the area around the cave had seen more rain than usual.

The boys were part of the Wild Boars soccer team. Earlier that day, they had been joking around after practice. None could have imagined the day would end in disaster. The boys were of different ages. They went to different schools. But the Wild Boars were all good friends. And they were close with their assistant coach. They called him “Coach Ek.” Coach Ek often planned outdoor trips for them, like this one to the Tham Luang cave.

The boys ate some snacks and hopped on their bikes. Soon, they were riding through farmland and into the mountains. At the mouth of the cave, they set down their bikes. They swapped their soccer shoes for flip-flops.

They walked past a faded sign.
It warned visitors not to enter during the rainy season. That’s when the cave floods. The boys were sure they were
safe though. The heavy rains were still weeks away.

But a changing climate has been making the seasons change also. In the days before June 23, the area around the cave had gotten more rain than usual.

The boys stepped through the cave’s entrance and into a big, airy room. They breathed in the smell of wet, mossy limestone. Thick stalactites hung down like dragon teeth. As they walked, the cave grew narrower and narrower. Light from the outside world faded away.

But the boys weren’t scared. About one mile in, they came to a junction where the tunnel forked in two. The Wild Boars knew they should turn back if they were going to make it to Night’s party. But now, deep in the cave, they felt a tug that cavers know well: What if we go just a little farther?

They kicked off their flip-flops, dropped their backpacks, and continued. They wriggled through tight spaces. They stomped up and down rough slopes. Their bare toes gripped slippery rocks.

Three hours later, the boys decided to head back. But when they returned to the junction, there was only swirling water.

Coach Ek calmly told the boys the water would surely go down. He said they should find a place to sleep for the night. They found a section of fairly dry, sandy ground. Night thought about his party, about the delicious food his mother had been cooking all afternoon. His teammates were thinking about food too. They hadn’t brought any with them.

At least they had the most important thing: water.

The water dripping from the cave walls had been filtered through the rocks, cleaning it. The boys cupped their hands to catch the drops as they fell. Then one by one, they drifted off to sleep. They dreamed of tomorrow, when they’d be able to get out.

The boys stepped through the cave’s entrance and into a big, airy room. Thick stalactites hung down like dragon teeth. As they walked, the cave grew narrower and narrower. Light from the outside world faded away.

But the boys weren’t scared. About one mile in, they came to a junction. The tunnel forked in two. The Wild Boars knew they should turn back. Otherwise, they would miss Night’s party. But now, deep in the cave, they felt a tug that cavers know well: What if we go just a little farther?

They kicked off their flip-flops, dropped their backpacks, and continued. They squeezed through tight spaces. They stomped up and down rough slopes. Their bare toes gripped slippery rocks.

Three hours later, the boys decided to head back. But when they got
back to the junction, there was only swirling water.

Coach Ek calmly told the boys the water would surely go down. He said they should find a place to sleep for the night. They found an area of fairly dry ground. Night thought about his party. His mother had been cooking yummy food all afternoon. His teammates were thinking about food too. They hadn’t brought any with them.

At least they had the most important thing: water.

The water dripped from the cave walls. It had run through the rocks and was clean. The boys cupped their hands to catch the falling drops. Then one by one, they fell asleep. They dreamed of tomorrow, when they’d be able to get out.

As the boys sank into sleep, their worried families realized what had happened. Sangwut Khammongkhon, the director of a local rescue organization, heard about the situation around 9:45 p.m. In the lashing rain, he and his team rushed to Tham Luang. When they got to the junction, they saw the swirling water—and the pile of backpacks and flip-flops nearby. Sangwut realized the boys must be trapped somewhere on the other side.

The heavy clouds over Sangwut’s heart matched those in the sky. He knew the cave very well. And he knew that when water reached the junction that time of year, it wouldn’t go down until the rainy season ended in October.

What happened next was a flurry of activity. An expert British caver was called in. He lived in Thailand and had created detailed maps of the cave. A team of Thai Navy SEALs also arrived. The SEALs are an elite military unit made up of highly trained divers.

But diving in a cave is a lot different from diving in the open sea—and a lot more dangerous. The SEALs did not have the equipment or experience to dive through flooded cave passageways.

On June 26, three days since the boys had become trapped, the rescue workers were becoming discouraged. The water was cold. The current was strong. The water was so murky that it was like trying to dive through coffee. The expert caver said there were only a handful of people in the world who could dive in water like that. Those people had to be brought to Tham Luang immediately or the boys would surely die.

What no one wanted to say was that they didn’t even know if the boys were still alive.

Meanwhile, the boys’ worried families realized what had happened. Sangwut Khammongkhon was the director of a local rescue organization. He heard about the situation around 9:45 p.m. He and his team rushed to the cave in the lashing rain. They got to the junction. They saw the swirling water—and the pile of backpacks and flip-flops nearby. Sangwut realized the boys must be trapped somewhere on the other side.

The heavy clouds over Sangwut’s heart matched those in the sky. He knew the cave very well. When water reached the junction in June, it wouldn’t go down until October. That’s when the rainy season ended.

What happened next was a flurry of activity. An expert British caver was called in. He lived in Thailand and had created maps of the cave. A team of Thai Navy SEALs also arrived. The SEALs are an elite military group of expert divers.

But diving in a cave is a lot different from diving in the open sea. And it’s a lot more dangerous. The SEALs did not have the gear or experience to dive through a flooded cave.

On June 26, the rescue workers were becoming discouraged. The boys had been missing for three days. The water was cold. The current was strong. The water was so murky it looked like coffee. The expert caver said there were only a few people in the world who could dive in water like that. Those people had to be called immediately. Otherwise, the boys would die.

There was something no one wanted to say: They didn’t even know if the boys were still alive.

By this point, the Wild Boars were in rough shape. Hunger clawed at their stomachs. They took turns crying and comforting each other.

It didn’t help that the cave was damp and chilly. The boys scooped out a ditch in the sand where they could huddle and keep warm.

Coach Ek kept reminding the boys how strong they were. “Keep fighting,” he told them. “People are looking for us.” And he was right.

Over the following days, all of Thailand—and the world—was drawn into the dramatic scene at Tham Luang.

Soon, more than 1,000 volunteers had gathered at the cave entrance, now known as base camp. There were scientists, members of the Thai and U.S. militaries, government leaders, engineers, and doctors. The world’s best cave divers arrived to offer help and guidance.

On July 2, two of the expert divers put on their gear and disappeared into the water. Eventually, they found a space with an air pocket. One of the divers rose to the surface and took off his mask—only to be overwhelmed by an awful smell. But it was a stench that filled him with relief: human waste. That meant the boys must be close by.

Moments later, the divers emerged from the water. Just above them crouched all 12 boys and Coach Ek.

Alive.

By this point, the Wild Boars were in rough shape. They were really hungry. They took turns crying and comforting each other.

It didn’t help that the cave was wet and chilly. The boys huddled to keep warm.

Coach Ek kept reminding the boys how strong they were. “Keep fighting,” he told them. “People are looking for us.” And he was right.

Over the following days, all of Thailand—and the world—was drawn into the dramatic scene at Tham Luang.

Soon, more than 1,000 people had gathered at the cave entrance. It was now known as base camp. There were scientists, members of the Thai and U.S. militaries, government leaders, engineers, and doctors. The world’s best cave divers arrived to help.

On July 2, two of the expert divers put on their gear. They disappeared into the water. After a while, they found a space with an air pocket. One of the divers rose to the surface and took off his mask. He was overwhelmed by an awful smell. But it was a stench that filled him with relief: human waste. That meant the boys must be close by.

Moments later, the divers emerged from the water. Just above them were the 12 boys and Coach Ek.

Alive.

News that the Wild Boars had been found swept around the world. But as one of the divers pointed out, being alive inside a cave and being alive outside a cave are two very different things.

The boys desperately needed food and supplies. It wouldn’t be easy. Cave divers use special equipment to breathe underwater. They would have to squeeze through narrow passageways that could damage it. One wrong move could be deadly.

Despite the danger, six SEALs and a Thai army doctor managed to reach the boys with food, medicine, and blankets. Over the next few days, the SEALs made more dives with food and letters from the boys’ families. Many of the letters were for Coach Ek, telling him he shouldn’t blame himself.

Then tragedy struck.

Late on the night of July 5, one of the SEALs drowned while on a supply dive. His death sent a wave of sadness through base camp. 

But the other SEALs reminded themselves that they still had a mission to finish. They needed to get the boys out.

The news swept around the world. The Wild Boars had been found! But as one of the divers said, being alive inside a cave and being alive outside a cave are two very different things.

The boys desperately needed food and supplies. It wouldn’t be easy. Cave divers use special gear to breathe underwater. They would have to squeeze through narrow passageways. The gear could get broken. One wrong move could be deadly.

Despite the danger, six SEALs and a Thai army doctor were able to reach the boys with food, medicine, and blankets. Over the next few days, the SEALs delivered more food. They brought letters from the boys’ families. Many of the letters were for Coach Ek. They told him he shouldn’t blame himself.

Then tragedy struck.

On the night of July 5, one of the SEALs was on a supply dive. He drowned. His death sent a wave of sadness through base camp.

But the other SEALs reminded themselves that they still had a job to do. They needed to get the boys out.

On July 8, the rescue team headed into Tham Luang. They had decided divers would carry the boys out through the water. But the plan was risky—and it was very possible that not everyone would survive.

Fourteen-year-old Note would be the first boy brought out. He was given medication that made him fall asleep. (This was to prevent him from panicking.) He was fitted with a breathing mask attached to an air tank.

Then a volunteer diver pulled Note underwater. With one hand, the diver gripped a guideline—a rope that had been set up to help him find his way through the murky water. With the other hand, he cradled Note close to his body. The route out of the cave was complex, a mixture of flooded passageways and dry or partly flooded chambers.

Finally, after more than five agonizing hours, Note and the diver reached the last chamber. There, 100 rescuers were waiting. Note was placed on a stretcher. The rescuers passed him from hand to hand over the steep and slippery final section of the cave.

At last, they got him to the mouth of the cave. When the news spread that the first boy had been safely brought out, after 16 days of being trapped in the dark, cheers erupted around the world.

Over the next two days, every remaining boy and Coach Ek were all brought to safety.

On July 8, the rescue team headed into the cave. They had decided divers would carry the boys out through the water. But the plan was risky. It was very possible that not everyone would survive.

Fourteen-year-old Note would be the first boy brought out. He was given medication to fall asleep. (This was to prevent him from panicking.) He was given a special mask to breathe.

Then a volunteer diver pulled Note underwater. With one hand, the diver held a guideline. That’s a rope to help him find his way through the murky water. With the other hand, he kept Note close to his body. The path out of the cave was hard. It was a mix of flooded passageways and dry or partly flooded chambers.

Finally, after more than five hours, Note and the diver reached the last chamber. There, 100 rescuers were waiting. Note was placed on a stretcher. The rescuers passed him from hand to hand.

At last, they got him to the mouth of the cave. The news spread that the first boy had been safely brought out. He and the others had been trapped in the dark for 16 days. Cheers erupted around the world.

Over the next two days, all the boys and Coach Ek were brought to safety.

Today, the boys’ lives are both back to normal and forever changed. They are world famous. Strangers stop them on the street to take photos with them. They have changed on the inside too. Their parents say they are more patient and thankful for small things. And now some imagine becoming Navy SEALs, like the brave men who risked their lives to save them.

“We feel like we have a lot of parents around the world,” said one of the boys, 14-year-old Adul. “I wish I could meet you and thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

Today, the boys’ lives are back to normal. But they’re also forever changed. The boys are world famous. Strangers stop them on the street to take photos with them. They have changed on the inside too. Their parents say they are more patient. They’re thankful for small things. And now some imagine becoming Navy SEALs, like the brave men who risked their lives to save them.

“We feel like we have a lot of parents around the world,” said one of the boys, Adul. He’s 14. “I wish I could meet you and thank you from the bottom of my heart.”