Rising waters, no air: How Thai cave rescue almost went wrong

The world celebrated when all 12 “Wild Boars” and their soccer coach were finally pulled to safety from a flooded Thai cave – but rescue workers have revealed how close to disaster they came.

Rescue workers have told of their struggle to free the "Wild Boars". Source: AAP

Desperate attempts to free the trapped "Wild Boars" soccer team and their coach from a flooded Thai cave were hindered by wild weather and low oxygen.

Throughout the 17 day ordeal, elite Thai Navy Seals and other rescue operators were locked in a race against time due to heavy rain and rising water levels.

Initially, authorities thought they faced a reasonably easy task in getting the boy outs, but rescue efforts were quickly thwarted by rain and rising water levels inside the partially flooded passageways.

Footage of divers pulling the last boys to safety from the flooded cave. Source: RTV

“We fought and were defeated, losing space to the water,” Acting  Chiang Rai governor and rescue coordinator Narongsak Osatanakorn told the media.

Several options were explored by authorities – including tunnelling into the trapped group or getting them enough food to wait out the monsoon season. But approaching wet weather forced the timeline to be moved up and the elite unit of Thai Navy Seals and foreign divers were forced to contend with thick mud and rising water.

The rescue efforts cost the life of one rescue worker - a former Thai Navy Seal ran out of air inside the cave system.

Three hours after the final five were rescued, pumping machinery failed and the water level rose dramatically.

Much of the rescue team was still inside the cave when the main pump failed, triggering a flood of water.

The first footage of the Thai boys in hospital has been released. Source: PRD

Yesterday, the Australian contingent – made up of military personnel and Australian Federal Police divers – revealed they moved more than 20 tonnes of equipment - including oxygen tanks to make the hours-long trek - through the dark tunnels to facilitate the rescue operation.

The last group of the 12-member football team and their young coach was brought out of the Tham Luang cave on Tuesday night.

All are now recovering in hospital after the ordeal.

Rescue mission chief Narongsak Osottanakorn told a news conference the boys were just being children when they got lost, and no one was to blame.

The elite Thai Navy Seals who carried out the rescue. Source: AAP

“We don’t see the children as at fault or as heroes. They are children being children, it was an accident,” Narongsak said.