Summary

  • All 12 members of a Thai youth football team and their coach have been brought safely out of the cave in northern Thailand

  • The final five members rescued join eight team members taken to hospital on Sunday and Monday and said to be doing well

  • Each person was pulled through the cave by expert divers

  • The last Navy Seals - three divers and a doctor - are out of the cave, the rescue chief says

  • The 12 boys and their coach were trapped by floods more than two weeks ago

  • One former Navy diver, Petty Officer Saman Gunan, died last week carrying oxygen in the cave ahead of the rescue

  1. 'I miss my son'published at 07:54 British Summer Time 8 July 2018

    "I am dying to see him," the mother of a boy trapped in the cave said earlier in the week. "I miss my son."

    Media caption,

    Mother of Thailand cave boy: 'I am dying to see him'

  2. Coach Ek - villain or hero?published at 07:52 British Summer Time 8 July 2018

    More about coach Ekapol Chanthawong.

    A Washington Post correspondent says that in the US he would likely be facing a lawsuit or even charges - but in Thailand he is seen as a hero.

  3. The coach who brought the boys inpublished at 07:52 British Summer Time 8 July 2018

    25-year-old coach Ekapol Chanthawong, also known as Ake, headed the excursion to bring the boys into the cave.

    Opinion on him has been divided, some blame him for leading the boys in, others say he is doing the best he can in these circumstances.

    When found, rescue divers said he was the weakest in the group because he refused to eat any of the food, letting the boys have it all.

    In a handwritten letter, he apologised to the boys' parents, several of whom have said they do not blame him.

    The coach with some of the missing childrenImage source, FACEBOOK/EKATOL
    Image caption,

    The coach with some of the missing children

  4. Falling oxygen levelspublished at 07:50 British Summer Time 8 July 2018

    Running out of oxygen was one of the biggest risks posed to the trapped group.

    An oxygen line has now been installed to counteract the increased carbon dioxide that comes from so many people breathing within such a small area.

  5. Where is Elon Musk?published at 07:49 British Summer Time 8 July 2018

    Billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk previously stepped forward to aid in the rescue of the trapped Thai boys and their football coach. It is unclear what his role in the operation actually is but in a series of tweets, Mr Musk explored how his businesses could help the team.

    But with the rescue operation having kicked off, some Twitter users are asking where is his team. "This is ridiculous," tweeted one user in response to Mr Musk. "The real heroes are there in Chiang Rai actually doing something to help. One man lost his life carrying oxygen tanks to the boys."

  6. 'Otherwise we'll lose opportunity'published at 07:36 British Summer Time 8 July 2018

    The governor of Chiang Rai province spoke after more rain fell overnight. With more bad weather on the way, Narongsak Osotthanakorn decided to launch the rescue.

    "There is no other day that we are more ready than today. Otherwise we will lose the opportunity," the governor said.

  7. A 'buddy diving' systempublished at 07:32 British Summer Time 8 July 2018

    If the boys have to go underwater, rescuers might use a "buddy diving" system where each is tethered to a skilled rescuer diver.

    This is how it might look:

    Graphic of buddy diving system
  8. The divers who found the boyspublished at 07:28 British Summer Time 8 July 2018

    It was less than a week ago that the boys were found by two British rescuers.

    "How many of you?" had been the first question diver John Volanthen asked upon stumbling onto the group. "Thirteen? Brilliant."

    Read more about the rescuer divers here.

    The British divers involved in the rescue operationImage source, AFP
    Image caption,

    The British divers involved in the rescue operation

  9. Rainy and muddypublished at 07:18 British Summer Time 8 July 2018

    Here's what conditions are like for some of our colleagues gathered at the scene:

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
  10. A poem to the boys and rescuerspublished at 07:15 British Summer Time 8 July 2018

    As shared by Diane Rich, on our Facebook page.

    BBC FacebookImage source, BBC Facebook
    Sorry, we're having trouble displaying this content.View original content on Facebook
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Facebook content may contain adverts.
  11. A prayer for classmatespublished at 07:12 British Summer Time 8 July 2018

    Pupils from the nearby Mae Sai Prasitsart school - attended by six of the missing boys - have been praying for the safe return of their friends.

    School children at the Mae Ssai Prasitsart schoolImage source, AFP
  12. The greatest dangers for the boyspublished at 07:07 British Summer Time 8 July 2018

    Hypothermia is a risk. The water in the cave is very cold, and the boys will be submerged - at least partially - in the many hours it will take for them to get out.

    Another danger is infection. There are all sorts of diseases in the cave, which could be carried by bats or dirty water.

  13. This story on Instagrampublished at 06:59 British Summer Time 8 July 2018

    Lots of you are sending the boys and their coach messages of support through our Instagram Story, external! Keep it coming. You can also watch our staffers on the ground in Chiang Rai.

    This Instagram post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Instagram
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip instagram post

    Allow Instagram content?

    This article contains content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Meta’s Instagram cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of instagram post
  14. How did the boys get trapped?published at 06:54 British Summer Time 8 July 2018

    Monsoon rains began as the group began exploring the cave on 23 June. They retreated deeper into the warren of caverns to try to find higher ground as water levels rose rapidly.

    The Tham Luang cave is 10,316m long and is the fourth-longest cave in Thailand.

  15. The silent heroes...published at 06:46 British Summer Time 8 July 2018

    We haven't heard much from those at the heart of the rescue. Helsinki diver Mikko Paasi has shared these moving behind-the-scene images from the past week's operation in northern Thailand.

    Sorry, we're having trouble displaying this content.View original content on Facebook
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Facebook content may contain adverts.
    This Instagram post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Instagram
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip instagram post

    Allow Instagram content?

    This article contains content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Meta’s Instagram cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of instagram post
  16. Message of hope from a minerpublished at 06:30 British Summer Time 8 July 2018

    Remember the 33 miners who were rescued from a collapsed mine in Chile in 2010? Mario Sepulveda, one of the miners, has this to say to the boys:

    Media caption,

    Thai cave rescue: Chilean miner's message to trapped boys

  17. Sensitive times for the governmentpublished at 06:26 British Summer Time 8 July 2018

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
  18. 'Parents know the risks'published at 06:23 British Summer Time 8 July 2018

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
  19. What do we know so far?published at 06:22 British Summer Time 8 July 2018

    Here's a quick recap if you're only tuning in now:

    - A mission has begun to free 12 boys and their coach trapped inside the Tham Luang cave in Thailand

    - 13 foreign divers and five local divers are attempting to bring the boys out, and they could come out as early as 21:00 local time (15:00 GMT) tonight

    - The boys are said to be in good health and are all ready to go

    - Water levels are now at the lowest they have been for days, and the group could be able to walk out through parts of the cave

  20. Tight squeeze to get outpublished at 06:19 British Summer Time 8 July 2018

    It's going to be a challenge to get the boys out of the cave, which is so narrow and winding in some places that rescuers have had to hold their oxygen tanks in front of them to squeeze through.

    Graphic