It all started as a hiking expedition when monsoons kept 12 boys and their soccer coach trapped in a cave fighting for their lives. Even though the Thailand rescue mission ended in success, two weeks ago everyone seemed to be hopeless. That didn't stop the SEALS, hundreds of soldiers, and volunteers from there determination to find them.
They had been stuck in a northern Thailand cave for more than two weeks without food, minimal air supplies, and any connection to the outside world. When they first went missing rescuers had no idea where they were or if they were still alive.
Rescue divers with specialized breathing equipment reached the group through a series of water-filled passages. The boys had been heavily sedated to prevent them from having panic attacks in the tight, dark, and underwater passageways they had to go through in order to reach safety. In the narrow sections, the divers had to take off their air tanks to squeeze the boys through.
Now they are all expected to leave the hospital Thursday afternoon. Health Specialist say that during the first days some of the boys had minor pneumonia, ear, and lung infections but now all is cleared. As the boys continue to recover, they remain extremly vulnerable to infectious diseases. Doctors order that they need to avoid mental stress and spend the next couple of months only with family and friends.