'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."
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
Kevin Ponniah, Gareth Evans, Simon Fraser, Anna Jones, Andreas Illmer, Yvette Tan, Virginia Harrison, Joel Gunter and Heather Chen
"I am dying to see him," the mother of a boy trapped in the cave said earlier in the week. "I miss my son."
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.
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.
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.
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."
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.
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:
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."
Here's what conditions are like for some of our colleagues gathered at the scene:
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As shared by Diane Rich, on our Facebook page.
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.
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.
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.
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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.
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.
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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:
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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
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.