Four boys rescued from Thai cave, as others forced to wait to be freed

Authorities have enjoyed a moment of celebration in what has become a worldwide effort to free 12 boys and their coach from a Thai cave, as four of the boys have now been rescued – leaving the remaining group trapped inside until the mission is resumed.

The exhausted boys were rushed to Chiang Rai Prachanukroh hospital this weekend by military helicopter and ambulances after a rescue crew managed to help them out of the Tham Luang caves in a dramatic eight-hour operation – 15 days after they first became trapped there.

The rest of the group will be forced to wait several more hours before they too can see their families again, as the mission has been halted until the morning, the Thai Public Broadcast Service has confirmed.

According to The Guardian, the first two boys emerged wearing full-face scuba masks just after 5.30pm local time (8.30pm AEST) on Sunday night, before being joined by the other two boys around two hours later.

“Today was the best situation, in terms of the kids’ health, water and our rescue readiness,” Narongsak Osatanakorn, head of the joint command centre on site, reportedly told a press briefing. “It has been our masterpiece work.”

With four boys now freed from the Thai caves, there's still a difficult journey ahead for the remaining eight. #9Today pic.twitter.com/F62NWC80BT

— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) July 8, 2018

He didn’t confirm any names of the rescued boys, and it’s thought their families weren’t aware of which of the boys were swimming at the time.

As Osatanakorn was applauded, he added: “Our job is not completely done… We will have to do the next mission as successfully as the one we did today. The rest of the kids are in the same spot.”

According to the site, he confirmed rescuers would need several hours to rest and prepare their equipment.

“Air tanks and systems have to be put in place again,” he added. “I can’t tell you exact timing of the next operation. I have to check all factors are stable. The operation then will be carried out.”

Read more: Thai officials confirm rescue underway, 18 divers making way through cave

A team of 13 international cave diving experts and five Thai divers entered the precarious cave system at 10am local time on Sunday, after attempts to drill through to them were abandoned.

Officials told media gathered at the site that the boys and their coach are in strong spirits and determined to get out. Their families have been informed and reportedly agreed with the decision to make the most of the opportunity to get the boys out before the forecasted monsoonal rain sets in.

The young soccer team, whose ages range between 11 and 16, will have to make their way through the cave’s flooded tunnel system. The entire journey is about 4km long and requires the boys – some of whom can’t swim – to dive underwater and pull themselves through the narrow tunnel using a rope.

The rescue mission has faced a perfect storm of obstacles since it began, including monsoonal rains, a lack of oxygen in the cave and the fact that many of the boys trapped inside don’t know how to swim let alone dive.

Thai Navy SEALS and dozens of volunteer rescue workers have worked around the clock funnelling food and oxygen into the cave and trying to train the soccer team and their coach to dive with heavy scuba gear on their backs.

Engineers have been diverting the water flow into the cave over the past week and pumping it out at a rate of 180,000 litres an hour in an attempt to make it easier for the boys to escape and reduce the amount of time they must spend underwater.

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