News

Thai boys shown waving and smiling in first video since rescue

The first video of the Thai boys rescued from a flooded cave shows them smiling and waving from their hospital beds. Source: Twitter - Channel NewsAsia

The first footage has emerged from the hospital where 12 Thai boys and their coach are being attended to after their rescue from a flooded cave.

The video shows a number of the boys in hospital beds, wearing masks and hospital gowns, and being treated by doctors. They wave and smile at the camera, and most appear to be in good spirits. Some sat and made the ‘peace sign’ gesture for the camera.

The 12 boys and their soccer coach lost an average of two kilograms during their 17-day ordeal but were generally in good condition and showed no signs of stress, a senior health official said.

Some of their parents are seen crying and waving to them from behind glass.

The boys would have to stay in hospital for up to 10 days, hospital director Chaiwetch Thanapaisal told a news conference. They would then need to recover at home for a further 30 days, he said.

Parents of the first eight boys rescued have been able to visit them but had to wear protective gear and stand two meters away as a precaution –authorities are worried about the possibility of infections picked up in the cave.

Rescuers have managed to successfully save all 13 members of the Wild Boar soccer team following their 17-day ordeal, in a story that has captured the attention of the world.

The last child emerged on Tuesday at around 6pm local time (9pm AEST), according to Newscorp. In total, 19 divers assisted in the rescue of the final five members of the group, said to be the one of the toughest rescue operations to date. It is believed the youngest child, aged 11, was one of the last to be freed, although it was the boys’ 25-year-old coach who was the last to be rescued.

The boys in the team were aged between 11 and 16, while their coach was 25. It is believed the team became trapped four kilometres in the cave after heading in as a rite of passage. The team initially set off for their adventure on June 23 and an international rescue mission began on July 2 – more than a week after they vanished. Flash floods had made it nearly impossible for the team to escape the cave.

Footage released on Wednesday, captured a first look inside the opening chamber of the huge Tham Luang cave, as Sunrise reporter Chris Reason was allowed access inside – hours after Elon Musk made his own venture through the shallow waters to the opening of the narrow tunnel.

After the last child was safely removed from the chamber, a few reporters were allowed access inside, with Reason filming first-hand footage of the cavernous entrance and lit-up tunnel. He wrote: “Well here it is… we’ve visited the Tham Luang cave where the boys and their coach were trapped for 17 days.”

Have you been following the story?

NewsThe latest news
Share:
Share via emailShare on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Pinterest
Stories that matter
Emails delivered daily
Sign up