'The first glimpse of hope': Thai soccer boys out of hospital, recount drama of cave rescue

Jane Onyanga-Omara and John Bacon USA TODAY

Published 2:29 p.m. UTC Jul 18, 2018

Members of a youth soccer team on Wednesday recounted their harrowing, two-week ordeal in a flooded Thai cave and the "magical" moment when rescuers emerged from the murky waters and assured them help was on the way.

The 12 boys and their coach ultimately were freed in an intricate, three-day international mission that ended more than a week ago. They appeared Wednesday at a news conference televised across that nation of 70 million people who have been transfixed by the team's tale.

The "Wild Boars" hugged friends and kicked a ball around on a miniature, makeshift soccer field. Doctors said they had gained an average of more than six pounds each and were in good health – physically and mentally.

One player said he was startled when the first rescue diver arrived on the tenth day of the odyssey. 

“It was magical,” said Adul Sam-on, 14, in comments translated by Reuters. “I had to think a lot before I could answer their questions.”

The boys, ages 11-17, and coach Ekkapol Chantawong, 25, went into the Tham Luang cave in northern Thailand on June 23, planning to explore for about an hour, the coach said. They had just finished a practice game and were taking part in a team-building exercise. 

More: Elon Musk apologizes for calling Thai cave rescue diver 'pedo guy'

Related: Thai soccer team dug a 16-foot hole inside cave wall before rescuers arrived, despite having no food

The boys initially hiked in but later waded through water. Heavy rains soon sent a wall of water rushing into the cave, flooding sections and blocking their exit. They were trapped more than two miles from freedom.

Divers found them, huddled and hungry after 10 days. But it took another week to design a plan to extricate the boys. A team of more than 100 rescuers from a dozen countries finally rescued them, but not before a former Thai navy diver passed out and died from lack of oxygen while helping set up the escape route.

Also Wednesday, an army doctor who stayed in the cave with the team for a week after they were found shared terrifying details about the boys' attempts to escape before they were rescued.

Lieutenant Colonel Pak Loharachun said in a post on Facebook that the boys, ages 11 to 17, used rock fragments to dig into the cave wall every day, despite not having anything to eat. Incredibly, they managed to dig a 16-foot hole, he said.

The army doctor also praised their coach Ekapol Chanthawong, who he said constantly thought of the boys' well-being before his own. 

"I saw from the first day that Ek waited for the boys to satisfy their hunger first. He gave his meal to the young," he said in the post. 

The national tourist bureau released a short video thanking the global community for their contributions to the rescue.

Contributing: Ashley May, USA TODAY; The Associated Press

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