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Tears as Thai boys see parents for the first time
since cave rescue
Chiang Rai, Thailand (CNN)Wearing
hospital masks and gowns, and waving to family members through protective
glass, the freed Thai soccer players were finally able to have a reunion, of
sorts.
After
almost three weeks trapped in the dark, away from their loved ones in a
cave in northern Thailand, the boys, aged between 11 and 16, were allowed to
see their relatives in a carefully controlled environment, as doctors are still
concerned about their health.
In video shown at a press briefing, some of the parents were
in tears as they looked through the glass. The family members were not allowed
to enter the room where they are being treated, in order to avoid infection, Dr
Chaiyawej Thanapaisarn said.
The doctor said three of the boys were being treated for
minor cases of pneumonia, but predicted most would be discharged after about a
week.
Freed Thai boys in their hospital
beds.
"The recovery process should
take around 30 days after they are discharged," he added.
Speaking to CNN after he left the
hospital, Tanawat Viboonrungruang, the father of 11-year-old Titun, said he
felt relieved to see his son was "still healthy."
Seeing his son through the glass, he
said he only wanted to hug him.
"I started to cry, everybody
started to cry," he said. "I want to say thanks to those who rescued
my boy. And helped him to have a new life, it's like a rebirth. "
The rescued Thai boys, in a video grab, shown in their
hospital beds.
Weight dropped while in cave
Speaking earlier Wednesday, health ministry inspector
Tongchai Lertvirairatanapong said the boys were in "good condition,"
despite each losing an average of two kilograms (4.4 pounds) in weight during
their time in the cave.
He attributed their relative good health to their coach,
25-year-old
Ekkapol
Ake Chantawong, a former monk who was the last person out. "I have to
praise the coach who took care of the footballers very well,"
Lertvirairatanapong said.
He said the children hadn't eaten
any food in the nine days before they were found, and drank murky water from
inside the cave, which saved them. On Tuesday authorities said some of the boys
had asked to eat bread with chocolate spread, but mostly they'll be given a
food similar to milk which is rich in proteins and nutrients.
The first boys rescued on Sunday
have been allowed to see their relatives through a glass partition and speak to
them on a telephone line. They will soon be able to meet them in person, but
only while wearing protective clothing to reduce the risk of infection.
The second group of boys rescued has
been given approval to see their parents through glass, but the third group are
still undergoing tests, he said. The boys are expected to be kept in hospital
for at least a week while their immune systems recover.
The extraordinary operation to save
the boys came to an end on Tuesday, when the Thai Navy SEAL rescuers and a
doctor followed the last four boys and their coach out of the cave complex.
On Wednesday, they too were
recovering, nursing battered hands and feet from wading through the cold water
in the cave to reach the boys.
"Some have had muscle
infections, cold, flu, and some psychologists have been taking care of them to
relieve stress," Health Ministry Inspector Lertvirairatanapong said.
Even for some of the world's most
experienced cave divers, it set a new standard for difficult rescues.
"The complexity, scale and risk
of the operation was unprecedented," Glen McEwen, Australian Federal
Police manager for Asia said at a press conference Wednesday.
“I have also been informed by the Prime Minister, who received a call from
Ms Julie Bishop, the Australian Foreign Minister, on
the
passing of Dr Richard Harris’s father.
“I would like to express my deepest condolences for his great loss, and
thank him for his contribution, for without him this mission would not have
been a success.”
Dr Harris is an Australian diver who played a vital role in the rescue.
http://abc7.com/images-emerge-of-thai-boys-in-hospital-after-being-rescued-from-flooded-cave/3743323/
The first video has emerged showing some of the 12 boys receiving
treatment in a hospital after surviving more than two weeks inside a
partly flooded cave in northern Thailand.
The footage, released
by Thai officials Wednesday, shows eight of the boys sitting up in their
hospital beds, clad in hospital gowns and face masks. They wave to the
camera, give the peace sign and press their hands together in prayer to
show gratitude.
All 12 boys were recently evacuated from Tham
Luang Nang Non, Thailand's longest cave, where they had been trapped
inside with their
soccer
coach since June 23. The extensive search-and-rescue operation, which
included more than 1,000 people from various nations, has now switched
to a treatment process.
The boys and their coach remain
quarantined at Chiangrai Prachanukroh Hospital in northern Chiang Rai
province, while they recover from a variety of minor ailments, Thai
officials said at a news conference Wednesday.
The former
governor of Chiang Rai province, Narongsak Osatanakorn, the local
official in charge of the rescue operation, told ABC News some of the
boys were too weak to really walk. They were all were rushed to the
hospital mostly because of fear of infection.
But as a whole,
"everybody is doing well," Thongchai Lertwilairatanapong, a public
health inspector, told reporters at Wednesday's news conference.
"No one has any serious infections," he added. "Everybody can now rest and do daily activities."
None
of the four boys who were the first group to be evacuated from the cave
has a fever, and the three boys who have minor lung infections are
improving, Thai officials said, adding that they are taking less
medication and can eat anything they want. That's good news for the boys
who had said they were looking forward to fried rice with basil.
As
with the day before, parents are still being held tantalizingly far
away from their children. They were allowed to again visit but had to
stay more than 6 feet away.
"They talked to the boys far away
from them, about 2 meters [6.5 feet]," Thongchai said. "The second group
will do the same today."
The second group will be moved Wednesday evening local time from soft to regular food.
The
third and final group, including the soccer team's 25-year-old coach,
who were all evacuated Tuesday, are taking antibiotics and at least some
had lung infections.
Thai doctors said the boys each lost about 2 kilograms, or roughly 4.5 pounds, from the ordeal.
The
boys have been given health cards, which they will continue to carry
for two weeks after they leave the hospital, in order to jot down any
issues.
"Anyone can bring this card to show it to the doctors,
so the doctor can be alerted to any kinds of diseases and take care of
them, such as colds," Thongchai told reporters.
Thongchai said no
one is blaming the coach, the last to be evacuated from the cave, for
his decision to take the boys inside for a hike after soccer practice.
Seasonal monsoon rains flooded the vast cave complex unexpectedly and
cut off their exit route.
They forged deeper into the cave and
found a dry, elevated slope where they remained stranded in total
darkness for 10 days before rescuers located them.
"You can't
blame the coach and you can't blame the kids," Thongchai said. "They
have to help each other. We have to admire the coach that he managed
well in this situation."
A new video has emerged showing the
rescued Thai boys wearing hospital gowns, face masks and waving at their
parents and loved ones.
The boys appeared to be in good
spirits on Wednesday following their rescue earlier on Tuesday, reports Inside
Edition.
In the video, one of the boys
flashed a “victory” hand gesture.
The footage came as various outlets
reported the boys and their soccer coach were sedated to prevent them from
panicking or struggling as divers ferried them through black waters and cliff
sides.
“Some of them were asleep, and some of them were wiggling their fingers,
kind of groggy, but they were breathing. My job was to transfer them
along,” former Navy Seal Chaiyananta Peeranarong told the AFP news agency.
Each boy was strapped to a diver, who shepherded him to the surface,
stopping in dry areas along the way, where the boys were carried on stretchers.
The complex operation saw four boys rescued Sunday, four more on Monday and
the last four on Tuesday, along with the team’s coach.
Members of the Wild Boars soccer team, ranging in age from 11 to 16, entered
the cave with their coach during dry weather. They were cut off on June 23
after heavy rains flooded the cave complex.
They survived on snacks they brought with them and by drinking water running
down
cave walls,
authorities said. When divers reached them later, they brought additional food,
water and blankets.
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