Thailand cave rescue: 12 boys and their coach rescued

Twelve boys and their football coach have been rescued after being trapped in a flooded cave in Thailand for more than two weeks.

The last four youngsters and their coach - all members of the Wild Boars football team - were brought to safety on Tuesday.

The Thai Navy Seals, who have been running the rescue mission, posted on social media: "Twelve wild boars and coach out of the cave. Everyone safe."

The group entered the cave in the north of the country on 23 June but were trapped after heavy rains blocked their exit.

All 13 members of the group are now in hospital in Chiang Rai city and receiving medical and psychological help, but recovering well, officials said.

How were they rescued?

The rescue mission began on Sunday and involved 90 expert divers - 40 from Thailand and 50 from other countries.

These divers had been working together to help guide the boys through the long, difficult passages of the cave. Some areas are very narrow.

The boys left the cave by walking, climbing and swimming through the different passages.

While swimming, each boy was helped by two divers as they followed a rope called a dive line, which helped lead the group out of the cave.

The boys wore special diving masks that cover their whole face as this helped them breathe more easily from their oxygen tanks.

Their large, heavy oxygen tanks were also being carried for them by the rescue divers.

The rescue operation was started on Sunday as more rain is expected this week, which would have made it harder to rescue the boys.