Thailand's Wild Pig team tells stories stuck in Tham Luang cave

Rescue the Thai teenage team and the Coach stuck in Tham Luang cave is the story of the whole world interested in the past days.

In the first appearance of the media since the incident, the Thai teenagers' players looked cheerful and comfortable as they sat together with the Royal Thai Navy divers. SEALS . The whole team mentally prepared to share details about how they had spent 2 weeks in the dark deep cave.

Picture 1 of Thailand's Wild Pig team tells stories stuck in Tham Luang cave
Wild Pig team appeared at the press conference on July 18.(Photo: The Nation).

The boys appeared in uniforms with prints of Wild Pigs - the name of the team, answered a series of pre-selected questions to prevent them from being psychologically affected.

How to get lost?

Wild Pig coach, Ekkapol "Ake " Chantawong said that, after the training session on June 23, the whole team agreed to go together to 'visit' Tham Luang for the first time. 'We intend to explore Tham Luang cave for about an hour , ' Ake said.

Ake said the trip was not to celebrate the birthday as the information provided, although Peerapat Sompiangjai - a boy in the group said he wanted to go home before 17:00 that day because his parents had prepared a meal. party for your 17th birthday.

'We were walking normally . but after going into the cave, we knew we had to stop the route , ' Ake said. The group caught the water rising as they searched for a way back.

'Some of the boys asked if we were lost. I said, we're not going in the wrong direction , 'Ake said after realizing the team was really lost.

The group went on until it found a dry area.'We were near a water source. We sleep on that dry soil. Before we slept, we prayed to Buddha together. We think in the morning, the country will probably recede and people will search for us. At that time we did not feel scared , "Ake said

How to spend time in the dark cave?

Coach Ake said that the group tried to find the exit with very dim light in the cave. But as time passed, the boys began to feel powerless.

One of the boys described how they drank water when it dripped down from the cliffs, but there was no one to eat.'I feel exhausted. I feel that I have no strength and are very hungry. I tried not to think about food, because it would make me even more hungry , 'Chanin Vibulrungruang said.

Picture 2 of Thailand's Wild Pig team tells stories stuck in Tham Luang cave
Rescue teams tried to find a way to get the Wild Pig team out of Tham Luang cave.(Photo: Getty).

Ake said, the whole team wants to do something rather than just waiting to be found.'We tried to dig for ourselves. We took turns digging and cutting walls in the cave. We don't want to sit and wait until others find us. '

Coach Ake also said that, contrary to some of the information given, all the boys knew how to swim, although some were not good.

The boys said that they used stones to dig out the walls of the cave and played checkers together so that time quickly passed.

The feeling when seeing the rescuer

The story takes place in the evening, 14-year-old Adul Sam-on said. The boy described the moment when two British divers discovered the team and the coach was the 'magic' moment.

'We are sitting on a ledge. We hear someone talking. The coach told us to keep quiet and listen , 'the boy said.

Adul - the only member who knew English - said he saw the dim light and ran right there, and as soon as the divers emerged from the water, 'I said hello'.

'I was amazed when they were English, so I said "hello". They asked me how, I said I'm fine. I asked if they needed any help. They said no and told me to come back. Then they asked how many people we have '.

The feeling of knowing a diver sacrificed

When asked about the volunteer, former detective Seals, Saman Gunan, who was killed on July 6 when placing oxygen tanks in the cave, Ake said the group was shocked and sad about the news.

'We feel we are the reason why the Saman Gunan diver died and the Saman divers family suffered great losses. Saman divers sacrificed his life to save us, so we must continue to live our lives . ' Coach Ake said the boys will spend time praying to the Buddha in the temple to remember the diver who died.

Picture 3 of Thailand's Wild Pig team tells stories stuck in Tham Luang cave
Pig Team Remembers the diver Saman Gunan who died in the rescue process.(Photo: Getty).

The boys only received information about Saman Gunan's diving sacrifice on July 14, when they were determined to be healthy enough to be able to receive this information.

'They all cried and expressed their condolences by writing a message on a picture of a Saman diver and spending a minute wearing this diver's concept.' Jedsada Chokdamrongsuk, Permanent Secretary at the Thai Ministry of Health said.

How to choose the first person?

Coach Ake said this plan was discussed in detail with the lifeguards and Team Seals. The group eventually decided on an adventure campaign that included diving through flooded cave sections, while the boys were given tranquilizers to keep calm and then put on a stretcher.

When asked if the original plan included the order of who was taken out or not, Ake said no.'They choose to be taken out voluntarily, with no preference for weaker or stronger people than before.'

Doctor Pak Loharnshoon, who was also present at the press conference on July 18, said that since all the boys were healthy enough to be taken out, 'anyone could go out first'.

Ake said that in the end, everyone decided that 'whoever raised his first hand would go out first . some boys didn't want to go first because they wanted to stay with Seals'.

After 'fulfilling the responsibility of communication' the Wild Pig boys and coaches were finally able to return home on the night of July 18. Psychiatrists have recommended that their families should not have media contact for at least 1 month.