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soccer

Investigation Underway Into Deadly Brooklyn Playground Shooting

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — The search is on for suspects after a deadly shooting on a Brooklyn playground. It happened around 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Bushwick Playground on Knickerbocker Avenue just steps away from where children were playing soccer. The kids were in the middle of practice when they were startled by gunshots. “I was practicing, and then I heard six shots,” one boy said. “I saw people running from the basketball court towards the field. Then my coach told us to run towards our parents and then we ran and we just saw a kid running and he fell down in the field and he was like, bleeding.” “We thought it was like fireworks,” said another girl. “But it wasn’t. It was guns.” Police say a group of men were fighting at the playground when a gunman opened fire, killing a 21-year-old man with a shot to his back and sending two other 20-year-old men to the hospital. One was shot in the back and elbow and another was grazed in the arm. Despite the park being packed with children, none were hurt. But many walked away stunned. “I was really scared,” the boy said. “I thought they were going to shoot some of my teammates on my soccer team.” So far, no arrests have been made. The investigation is ongoing.

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Investigation Underway Into Deadly Brooklyn Playground Shooting

July 27, 2018 0 comment

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Thai Soccer Team Eager To Eat Their Favorite Foods As They Await Discharge From Hospital

written by SeleneNMEgw

CHIANG RAI, Thailand (CBSNewYork/AP) — The 12 boys and their soccer coach rescued from a flooded cave in northern Thailand are recovering well and are eager to eat their favorite comfort foods after their expected discharge from a hospital next week. In video messages of the boys shown at a news conference on Saturday, they are seen wearing surgical masks, a safeguard against infection that’s been taken since the last of them were pulled from the Tham Luang cave on Tuesday, ending an 18-day ordeal. Doctors said that Friday, when the videos were recorded, would be the last day they’d have to wear them. Public Health Minister Dr. Piyasakol Sakolsattayatorn, who led the news conference at Chiang Rai Prachanukroh Hospital, said all 13 — the dozen boys, who range in age from 11 to 16, and their 25-year-old coach — were expected to be discharged from the hospital on Thursday. “All of the 13 people, their physical bodies are strong, and fit. Regarding infections, through the medical evaluations in the first days there may be some of them that had minor pneumonia, but now all is cleared, no fever,” Piyasakol said. Several were also reported earlier to be recovering from minor lung and middle ear infections. Most of the boys, who were shown in their hospital beds, looked relaxed, and began their brief statements with a “wai,” the traditional Thai greeting of hands raised to chest level with palms together. A few also gave the two-finger victory sign and raised a fist. One of the 14-year-olds, Ekarat Wongsukchan, whose nickname is Biw, playfully raised his two arms in a boxer’s victory stance as laughter was heard in the background. “Hello, my name is Biw, I am fine. I want to say thanks to everyone that worried,” he said. All 13 offered thanks for the support they’ve been given. Asked by an off-camera interviewer what they were looking forward to eating, their wish list included slow-cooked pork leg with steamed rice, fried crispy pork, roasted red pork, sushi, steak and KFC. Adul Samon, a stateless 14-year-old sent to Thailand for schooling by his ethnic minority parents across the border in Myanmar, spoke in Thai and then in English: “Hello, I am Adul. Now I am very fine. I am very thank you so heavy, thank you so much.” Adul is perhaps the best known of the boys because he was the one speaking English in the video taken inside the cave when the team members were first found by two British cave divers on July 2, nearly 10 days after being trapped by flooding. In the video from the hospital, he also holds up a paper, apparently a drawing of his teammates, whom he points out one by one. Public Health Minister Piyasakol gave a prognosis for the boys, and said, “Psychologists have been talking to the kids, with the kids, their mental well-being is good today.” “Even though they are about to leave in the days ahead … they aren’t as strong as a normal person, they still need to rest and improve their health, and body,” he said. A hospital statement said that as the boys continue to recover, they remain susceptible to infectious disease. To avoid mental stress, they should spend at least the next month only with family and friends, avoiding media encounters that might trigger post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, the statement said. The sole fatality of the rescue operation, former Thai navy SEAL Petty Officer Saman Gunan, was granted a posthumous promotion to lieutenant commander by King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun and given the royal decoration of Knight Grand Cross (first class) of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant, the SEALs said Saturday on their Facebook page. Saman, 38, was a volunteer who had been engaged in the important mission of helping replace oxygen canisters along the route to where the boys were sheltering to make the hours-long passage possible. He collapsed and died on July 6 while diving; according to some officials, his own oxygen supply ran out. The former SEAL is being honored as a national hero, and his cremation ceremony was being held Saturday in his home northeastern province of Roi Et. In the area in northern Thailand around the cave, more than 4,000 volunteers were reported to have taken part Saturday in trying to restore the landscape, which was damaged by the massive rescue effort that included the flooding and clearing of land and the use of heavy machinery. (© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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Thai Soccer Team Eager To Eat Their Favorite Foods As They Await Discharge From Hospital

July 14, 2018 0 comment

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One Boy Takes On Key Role During Thailand Cave Rescue

written by Rosalin93G

THAILAND (CBSNewYork) — New details have emerged about how 12 boys and their soccer coach stayed alive while trapped in a flooded cave. As CBS News’ Anna Werner reports, one boy played a key role in the rescue effort . Teacher Kru Nice says 14-year-old Adun Sam-On has always been a leader, despite the fact he doesn’t have his parents with him or even an official home. Since Adun’s parents slipped him out of Myanmar eight years ago to escape the ethnic conflicts there, he’s become one of many students at this school considered “stateless” — not a citizen of Thailand or any other country. Yet here, Adun is a top student and a standout athlete. When asked how she felt when she found out Adun was trapped in a cave, Kru said “I was so worried.” More From CBS News But Adun’s proficiency in languages — he speaks four — proved key inside the cave, as he acted as translator for the British divers during the complicated rescue. Before they were found, a family member tells CBS News the boys worked together to survive for nine days in the cave. When the boys entered the cave they each had a flashlight, they had one watch and one mobile phone with light until the batteries died. They were able to check the watch for the time for the first three days. They slept close together for warmth and took turns digging in the cave to try and redirect the water that had trapped them. Now, the boys are in the hospital where new video shows them sitting up in their beds. Parents are allowed to see them for 15 minutes at a time, three times a day. Although some parents only come twice a day so the boys can get more rest. Thai officials said they plan to create an interactive museum that will feature items such as the clothing worn by rescuers.

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One Boy Takes On Key Role During Thailand Cave Rescue

July 12, 2018 0 comment

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Final Group Of Trapped Boys Pulled From Thai Cave Just Before Water Pump Malfunction

written by IzettaWesolowsk

(CBS News) — A Thai health official said the 12 boys and their soccer coach rescued from a flooded cave in northern Thailand are in good condition and recovering at a hospital Wednesday morning following the 18-day ordeal. CBS News has learned the final four boys and the coach were rescued just in time. Hours after the last boy was pulled out, the main water pump in the caves malfunctioned, sending water rushing in. Maj. Charles Hodges, the U.S. mission commander for the 353rd Special Operations unit for the Air Force, was a part of the rescue operation in Thailand. Hodges described the tense moments leading up to that final rescue to “CBS This Morning” on Wednesday. “Well, three of the SEALs, there’s four of them back there, three of them made their way into chamber three and about the same time we got the word that the pumps that had been running nonstop shut off for an unknown reason and the water levels back in chamber three started rising which would have cut off our access back to chambers two, one and then out of the cave. And that’s an abort criteria for our guys and so when that water level started rising everybody started grabbing their kid and they were ready to get out. Thankfully that last SEAL popped up at the last moment and everyone was able to get out of chamber three safely and make their way out and mission complete,” Hodges said. Asked if there were other trying times during the operation that seemed like it might make the rescue impossible, Hodges said, “absolutely.” “We had that thought the whole entire time. We also understood though we didn’t have the option to not attempt this,” he said. “Even though the odds seemed impossible what I’ve always been taught is to take risk and be bold when the situation calls for it and this situation absolutely did.” Millions breathe a global sigh of relief as boys emerge safely from Thai cave According to Thai health officials, when most of the boys were admitted, they were given antibiotics because of high white blood cell counts, reports CBS News’ Anna Werner. Some of the boys have lung infections and they each lost an average of about four pounds while in the cave, but overall, health officials said they are doing well, considering what they went through. Rescue volunteers danced and sang when they learned the entire group was safely rescued Tuesday and at a school where some of the rescued boys attend, students gathered to celebrate. The ordeal began more than two weeks ago, when the 12 boys and their soccer coach became trapped 2 and a half miles inside a complex cave system by fast-moving flood waters. As oxygen levels in the cave dropped and a new round of monsoon rains threatened to raise floodwaters, divers rushed in to rescue the boys. They were taken out in three groups, over 72 hours. The last member of the rescue team to leave the cave was Australian doctor Richard Harris. His boss said he found out shortly afterward that his father had died. He had stayed in the cave to look after the boys’ health. According to officials, the boys are doing well, in part because they stayed hydrated by drinking water dripping from the cave ceiling. They are now all being monitored for disease and infections. Health officials said the boys are also doing well mentally. Perhaps because they stayed together, the official said, adding that the coach who took care of them should be admired. Officials said the boys were given anti-anxiety pills to help keep them calm during their rescue. All of the boys and their coach are expected to be kept at the hospital through the weekend. It may come as no surprise that the story of their rescue may become a movie. Film producers have been on the ground in Thailand scouting. © 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Final Group Of Trapped Boys Pulled From Thai Cave Just Before Water Pump Malfunction

July 11, 2018 0 comment

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Illinois restaurant owner joins Thai cave rescue effort

written by QuyenBolliger

A man from Marion, Illinois, has been asked by the Thai military to use his groundwater expertise to help save 12 boys and their soccer coach trapped in a cave

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Illinois restaurant owner joins Thai cave rescue effort

July 9, 2018 0 comment

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Illinois restaurant owner joins Thai cave rescue effort

written by FelicaPrater

A man from Marion, Illinois, has been asked by the Thai military to use his groundwater expertise to help save 12 boys and their soccer coach trapped in a cave

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Illinois restaurant owner joins Thai cave rescue effort

July 9, 2018 0 comment

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Operation Underway To Rescue Boys Soccer Team From Thailand Cave

written by FletchePoulson

MAE SAI, Thailand (CBSNews/AP) — Early Sunday in Thailand, officials said the operation to rescue a soccer team stranded in a flooded cave may begin soon if torrential rains hold off. Officials appear to be close to launching their rescue mission, CBS News reports . However, the 12 boys, ages 11 to 16, are weak from being stranded for more than two weeks and are still learning how to use the dive equipment they may need to escape. LIVE UPDATES FROM CBS NEWS Narongsak Osottanakorn, head of the operation, said crews will do everything they can to minimize the risk. They have been pumping water from the cave to lower the water level, so the boys can escape without having to swim underwater. The dangerous journey killed a trained Navy SEAL on Friday, who passed out underwater while delivery oxygen tanks inside the cave. Three workers were injured in a fall at the site on Saturday. The oxygen tanks are needed because levels are dropping down to an alarming 15 percent. Crews are working to install a three-mile long oxygen tube and have delivered additional tanks to the boys. They are considering drilling a hole into the mountain to reach them if a water escape proves too dangerous. Meanwhile, the 25-year-old soccer coach who brought the boys into the cave issued a letter apologizing to their parents. “To the parents of all the kids, right now the kids are all fine, the crew are taking good care. I promise I will care for the kids as best as possible. I want to say thanks for all the support and I want to apologize to the parents,” he wrote. The boys also wrote letters to their families saying, “I love you, mom and dad… Don’t worry, we are safe now,” “When I come out, we will go eat fried chicken,” “I miss everybody,” and “Don’t forget to arrange a birthday party for me.” CBS News spoke with a 15-year-old boy who’s on the soccer team but missed the cave trip, because his parents needed his motorbike. “I feel bad, like I abandoned them,” he said. “I should have stopped them from going inside.” The boys, ages 11-16, and their 25-year-old became stranded when they went exploring in the cave after a practice game. Monsoon flooding cut off their escape and prevented rescuers from finding them for almost 10 days. (© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

July 8, 2018 0 comment

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Operation Underway To Rescue Boys Soccer Team From Thailand Cave

written by MelFleischer

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Operation Underway To Rescue Boys Soccer Team From Thailand Cave

July 8, 2018 0 comment

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Thai Rescue: Youngest Boy Trapped In Cave Dreams Of Fried Chicken

written by LesterCecil

(CNN) — Twelve Thai boys trapped in a cave have sent letters to their parents, and for the youngest of them all, foremost on his mind is the prospect of a tasty fried chicken meal when, and if, he is finally rescued. The letters were posted on Facebook by the Thai Navy SEALs who are leading the evacuation effort that involves pulling the boys through four kilometers (2.5 miles) of narrow, dark, twisting and flooded tunnels. “Dad, Mom don’t worry about me,” wrote 11-year-old Chanin Viboonrungruang . “I am fine. Please tell Pee Yod (older female relative) to take me to eat fried chicken. Love you all,” said the boy who is known by his nickname Titun. On Saturday CNN interviewed his father Tanawat Viboonrungruang, 35, who like the other parents, faces an agonizing wait. He explained the boy’s letter was referring to a promise made to the boy by his Aunt go to the local KFC. In t his video posted on Facebook by the Thai Navy seals , Titun is the fifth boy to speak. When asked what his feelings were when he read the letter, he said: “I felt better as my son said that he was fine and strong. I felt relieved after I had been worried about my son that he would be exhausted. I felt better. But I don’t know whether is tired or not.” “I am worried about him as there are obstacles to extract him out,” he said. “Everyone knows that it is difficult to stay inside (the cave) but the officials are trying. I hope he is still healthy and would come out soon. I want to send my support to him. I don’t have a chance to talk with him.” Viboonrungruang, who has spent most of the past few days keeping vigil at the entrance of the cave, described his son as a friendly, lively, popular boy who dreams of becoming a professional football player and is a supporter of both Arsenal and Barcelona soccer teams. “He’s been playing football since he was young, and he started it just at age 8 or 9,” said Viboonrungruang. Titun joined the team led by the coach, Akkapol Chanthawong, also known as Eak, 25, who is also in the cave, two years ago. “Back then he played football with friends just for fun. But after he joined this soccer team, his football skills are better. He performs really well with the guidance form the coach.” He said Titun had said he was going training at a local football field on the day he went missing, but didn’t talk about the trip to the cave. “I called him on the 23rd of June at around 3 p.m., but I couldn’t reach him or the coach,” he said. “I wasn’t able to contact him. So I tried to contact him again at about 6 or 7 pm but I couldn’t. I knew that they were trapped at around 11 p.m.” He said he knew his son was among those trapped after a friend asked him to check a photo of the boy’s bikes and other possessions found near the entrance to the cave. Viboonrungruang said the first days, when the boys had still not been located, were the worst. “On the third or the fourth day of the operation, I was so stressed out worrying how he could live in the dark and damp cave because I don’t know what it is like in the cave,” he said. “What could he do or what could he face? I don’t know. I was so stressed. So when the officials had announced that they found my son, I was so relaxed.” He said for now the family were not preparing any surprises for the boy, if, and when, he is eventually returned to them. “I don’t prepare for anything because after he comes out form the cave, he has to have his mentally and physically weak health checked and cured. So we don’t do anything for the surprise.” But he said, in any case, his young son will be able to have anything he wants. — Patrick Sarnsamak, Sandi Sidhu and Hilary Clarke The-CNN-Wire ( & © 2018 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.)

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Thai Rescue: Youngest Boy Trapped In Cave Dreams Of Fried Chicken

July 8, 2018 0 comment

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Thai Soccer Coach Apologizes To Parents As Boys Trapped In Cave Write ‘Do Not Worry’ In Letters Home

written by McfarlenClarey507

MAE SAI, Thailand (CBS News/AP) — The soccer coach trapped in a cave with 12 Thai boys has apologized to their parents in the first letter he and the team have sent out through divers. The boys wrote letters to their parents saying “don’t worry … we are strong,” BBC News reports . The 25-year-old coach says: “To the parents of all the kids, right now the kids are all fine, the crew are taking good care. I promise I will care for the kids as best as possible. I want to say thanks for all the support and I want to apologize to the parents.” Rescuers say they won’t immediately attempt an underwater evacuation because the boys have not yet learned adequate diving skills. But if heavy rains start again, divers will try to take the boys out right away. The boys also wrote they are doing well and missing their families. The group’s handwritten notes include requests for different types of food. “Teacher, don’t give us lots of homework!” read one. Narongsak Osotthanakorn, governor of the Chiang Rai region, said Friday the health of most of the boys had “improved to normal,” according to BBC News . Narongsak, who is in immediate charge of the operation, indicated at a news conference, however, that if heavy rains started and appeared to be causing flooded areas in the cave to rise again, divers would try to take the boys out right away. Thai officials had been suggesting in public statements that a quick underwater evacuation of the boys and their soccer coach was needed because of the possibility that access to the cave could soon close again due to seasonal monsoon rains expected this weekend. Cave rescue specialists have cautioned against that approach except as a last resort, because of the dangers posed by inexperienced people using diving gear. The path out is considered especially complicated because of twists and turns in some narrow flooded passages. Earlier Friday, Thai SEAL commander Arpakorn Yookongkaew said there is a “limited amount of time” to rescue the boys and the coach. “We can no longer wait for all conditions (to be ready) because circumstances are pressuring us,” Thai SEAL commander Arpakorn Yookongkaew said at a news conference. “We originally thought the boys can stay safe inside the cave for quite some time but circumstances have changed.” A suggestion that the trapped team might have to wait months inside until a safe way out in available — as was the case in 2010 with Chilean miners trapped underground — has met with little enthusiasm. Authorities continue to pursue a third option, which is finding a shaft or drilling into the mountain in which the cave is located to find a sort of back door entrance. The boys, 11 to 16, and their 25-year-old coach went exploring in the cave after a soccer game June 23. Monsoon flooding cut off their escape and prevented rescuers from finding them for almost 10 days. The only way to reach them was by navigating dark and tight passageways filled with muddy water and strong currents. Asked at his midnight news conference about taking the boys out underwater , the governor replied, “Not today because they cannot dive at this time.” Narongsak said the boys were still healthy and have practiced wearing diving masks and breathing in preparation for the diving possibility. According to BBC News, teams of Thai and international divers have been supplying the boys and the coach with food, oxygen and medical attention. But there are mounting concerns about the oxygen level in the chamber, which officials said had fallen to 15 percent from the usual level of 21 percent. With the oxygen levels inside getting lower as more workers enter, authorities on Friday were trying to install a 3-mile-long oxygen tube to pump in air, CBS News correspondent Ben Tracy reported. The rescue effort suffered a disheartening setback Friday with the death of a former Thai Navy SEAL diving in the flooded passageways to deliver supplies, as authorities raced against worsening weather and lessening oxygen. © 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Thai Soccer Coach Apologizes To Parents As Boys Trapped In Cave Write ‘Do Not Worry’ In Letters Home

July 7, 2018 0 comment

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Following Diver’s Death, Time Running Out To Rescue Trapped Boys, Thai Official Says

written by KennethBaine

MAE SAI, Thailand (CBS News) – Thai authorities overseeing the rescue operation for 12 boys and their soccer coach trapped in a flooded cave in the country’s north said they have a “limited amount of time” to get them out, as they raced Friday against worsening weather and lowered oxygen levels in the underground complex. Thai rescue personnel are seen at the Tham Luang cave area as operations continue for the 12 boys and their coach trapped at the cave in Khun Nam Nang Non Forest Park in Chiang Rai on July 6, 2018. (Getty Images) The massive operation inside and around Tham Luang Nang Non cave in Chiang Rai province suffered its first fatality Friday when a former Thai navy SEAL passed out underwater on an overnight mission and was unable to be revived. “We can no longer wait for all conditions (to be ready) because circumstances are pressuring us,” Thai SEAL commander Arpakorn Yookongkaew told a news conference. “We originally thought the boys can stay safe inside the cave for quite some time but circumstances have changed. We have limited amount of time.” The oxygen levels inside the cave were getting lower because of all the workers inside, and authorities on Friday were trying to install a 3-mile-long oxygen tube to pump in air, CBS News correspondent Ben Tracy reports. A senior army commander, Maj. Gen. Chalongchai Chaiyakam, said that the most pressing mission was to provide the oxygen line to reach the kids, who are stuck deep in the complex but are being looked after by four SEALs, including a medic. He said the oxygen line was also tied to a telephone line that would provide a channel of communication for the team. The boys, aged 11-16, and their 25-year-old coach went exploring in the cave after a soccer game June 23. Monsoon flooding cut off their escape and prevented rescuers from finding them for almost 10 days as the only way to reach them was by navigating a series of dark and tight passageways filled with muddy water and strong currents. Authorities have been racing to pump out water from the cave before more storms hit the region in the coming days and send water levels rising again. Due to high water levels, the only way for the boys to get out of the cave would be by diving, something cave rescue experts warn is extremely dangerous, even for those with experience. Authorities were trying to drain the flood waters to a level where the boys would not have to dive and could swim out with their heads above water, Tracy reports, but there were worries that even if the water levels were lowered, the boys would not have the endurance to make the trip. Friday’s death of the former SEAL underscores the risks of diving. The diver was working in a volunteer capacity and died during an overnight mission in which he was placing oxygen canisters along the route divers must take to get to the children. The strategically placed canisters would allow divers to stay under water for longer during the approximately five hour trip to reach the stranded team. While underwater, the rescuer passed out and efforts to resuscitate him failed. The governor has said the 13 boys may not be extracted at the same time, depending on their condition. The boys were reportedly weak but for the most part physically healthy. They had been practicing wearing diving masks and breathing, in preparation for the possibility of diving. Cave rescue experts have said it could be safest to simply supply the boys where they are and wait for the flooding to subside. That could take months, however, given that Thailand’s rainy season typically lasts through October. And without proper oxygen levels, staying put could also prove deadly. Meanwhile on Friday, FIFA, the organizers of the World Cup, sent a letter to the president of the Football Association of Thailand offering their “deepest sympathies and support” to the families of young soccer players and their coach. The letter, signed by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, invited the team to the World Cup final in Russia, should they be rescued in time and be healthy enough to travel. It said that the team’s appearance at the final would “undoubtedly be a wonderful moment of communion and celebration.” The boys have asked the navy SEALs taking care of them in the cave for details about what has happened in the World Cup since they got trapped on June 23. © 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Following Diver’s Death, Time Running Out To Rescue Trapped Boys, Thai Official Says

July 6, 2018 0 comment

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Thai Diver Killed, Rescue Of Trapped Boys Delayed

written by RozellaMincey

MAE SAI, THAILAND (AP) — Authorities in Thailand said Friday they will not immediately attempt an underwater evacuation of 12 schoolboys who have been trapped in a cave for almost two weeks because they have not learned adequate diving skills in the short time since searchers reached the area where they are sheltering. However, the official in immediate charge of the operation, Gov. Narongsak Osatanakorn, indicated at a news conference that if heavy rains started and appeared to be causing flooded areas in the cave to rise again, divers would try to take the boys out right away. Thai officials had been suggesting in public statements that a quick underwater evacuation of the boys and their soccer coach was needed because of the possibility that access to the cave could soon close again due to seasonal monsoon rains expected this weekend. Earlier efforts to pump out water from the cave have been set back every time there has been a heavy rain. Cave rescue specialists have cautioned against that approach except as a last resort, because of the dangers posed by inexperienced people using diving gear. The path out is considered especially complicated because of twists and turns in some narrow flooded passages. The suggestion that the trapped team might have to wait months inside until a safe way out in available — as was the case in 2010 with Chilean miners trapped underground — has met with little enthusiasm. The authorities continue to pursue a third option, which is finding a shaft or drilling into the mountain in which the cave is located to find a sort of back door entrance. The boys, 11 to 16, and their 25-year-old coach went exploring in the cave after a soccer game June 23. Monsoon flooding cut off their escape and prevented rescuers from finding them for almost 10 days. The only way to reach them was by navigating dark and tight passageways filled with muddy water and strong currents. Asked at his midnight news conference about taking the boys out underwater, the governor replied, “Not today because they cannot dive at this time.” Narongsak said the boys were still healthy and have practiced wearing diving masks and breathing in preparation for the diving possibility. The rescue effort suffered a disheartening setback Friday with the death of a former Thai navy SEAL diving in the flooded passageways to deliver supplies, as authorities raced against worsening weather and lessening oxygen. Professional cave divers from Europe are making the dangerous dives with a contingent of Thai navy SEALs. Two divers from the U.K. were the first to make it, on Monday, to the area where the boys and their coach took shelter. The divers are making frequent swims in and out. The death of former Thai navy SEAL Saman Gunan underscored the risks of making the underwater journey. The diver, the first fatality of the rescue effort, was working in a volunteer capacity and died on a mission to place oxygen canisters along the route to where the boys and others are sheltered, Thai SEAL commander Rear Adm. Arpakorn Yookongkaew said. The strategically placed canisters allow divers to stay underwater longer during the five-hour trip to reach the stranded team. While underwater, Saman passed out and efforts to resuscitate him failed, Arpakorn said. Some officials said his collapse was due to his oxygen supply running out, but the cause of his collapse was not confirmed. “Despite this, we will continue until we accomplish our mission,” Arpakorn vowed. Narongsak acknowledged that the air supply inside the cave is “a big problem.” Workers have been trying to run an oxygen line into the cave’s chambers. “We are carrying oxygen canisters to where the boys are,” Narongsak said. The dramatic rescue efforts and the boys’ plight have garnered international attention, perhaps most notably at soccer’s most widely watched event, the World Cup. A diver who spent time with the boys said earlier the youngsters wanted to know the results of the matches. Players from teams including England and Sweden have recorded good luck video messages for the trapped boys, and FIFA has invited the 13 to the World Cup final should they be rescued in time and are healthy enough to travel. Elon Musk, the entrepreneur behind the Tesla automobile and the SpaceX rocket company, has said he would send engineers to help. One of his enterprises is Boring Co., which digs tunnels for advanced transport systems and has advanced ground-penetrating radar. Musk also brainstormed on Twitter about possible technology for a safe evacuation, suggesting that an air tunnel constructed with soft tubing like a Bouncy Castle could provide flexible passage out. (© Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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Thai Diver Killed, Rescue Of Trapped Boys Delayed

July 6, 2018 0 comment

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Thai Navy SEAL Commander Says Time Running Out To Rescue Trapped Boys

written by EarlWilson

MAE SAI, THAILAND (CBSNewYork/AP) — Thai authorities overseeing the rescue operation for 12 boys and their soccer coach trapped in a flooded cave in the country’s north said they have a “limited amount of time” to get them out, as they raced Friday against worsening weather and lowered oxygen levels in the underground complex. The massive operation inside and around Tham Luang Nang Non cave in Chiang Rai province suffered its first fatality Friday when a former Thai navy SEAL passed out underwater on an overnight mission and was unable to be revived. “We can no longer wait for all conditions (to be ready) because circumstances are pressuring us,” Thai SEAL commander Arpakorn Yookongkaew told a news conference. “We originally thought the boys can stay safe inside the cave for quite some time but circumstances have changed. We have limited amount of time.” The oxygen levels inside the cave were getting lower because of all the workers inside, and authorities on Friday were trying to install a 3-mile-long oxygen tube to pump in air, CBS News correspondent Ben Tracy reports. A senior army commander, Maj. Gen. Chalongchai Chaiyakam, said that the most pressing mission was to provide the oxygen line to reach the kids, who are stuck deep in the complex but are being looked after by four SEALs, including a medic. He said the oxygen line was also tied to a telephone line that would provide a channel of communication for the team. The boys, aged 11-16, and their 25-year-old coach went exploring in the cave after a soccer game June 23. Monsoon flooding cut off their escape and prevented rescuers from finding them for almost 10 days as the only way to reach them was by navigating a series of dark and tight passageways filled with muddy water and strong currents. Authorities have been racing to pump out water from the cave before more storms hit the region in the coming days and send water levels rising again. Due to high water levels, the only way for the boys to get out of the cave would be by diving, something cave rescue experts warn is extremely dangerous, even for those with experience. Authorities were trying to drain the flood waters to a level where the boys would not have to dive and could swim out with their heads above water, Tracy reports, but there were worries that even if the water levels were lowered, the boys would not have the endurance to make the trip. Friday’s death of the former SEAL underscores the risks of diving. The diver was working in a volunteer capacity and died during an overnight mission in which he was placing oxygen canisters along the route divers must take to get to the children. The strategically placed canisters would allow divers to stay under water for longer during the approximately five hour trip to reach the stranded team. While underwater, the rescuer passed out and efforts to resuscitate him failed. The governor has said the 13 boys may not be extracted at the same time, depending on their condition. The boys were reportedly weak but for the most part physically healthy. They had been practicing wearing diving masks and breathing, in preparation for the possibility of diving. Cave rescue experts have said it could be safest to simply supply the boys where they are and wait for the flooding to subside. That could take months, however, given that Thailand’s rainy season typically lasts through October. And without proper oxygen levels, staying put could also prove deadly. Meanwhile on Friday, FIFA, the organizers of the World Cup, sent a letter to the president of the Football Association of Thailand offering their “deepest sympathies and support” to the families of young soccer players and their coach. The letter, signed by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, invited the team to the World Cup final in Russia, should they be rescued in time and be healthy enough to travel. It said that the team’s appearance at the final would “undoubtedly be a wonderful moment of communion and celebration.” The boys have asked the navy SEALs taking care of them in the cave for details about what has happened in the World Cup since they got trapped on June 23. (© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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Thai Navy SEAL Commander Says Time Running Out To Rescue Trapped Boys

July 6, 2018 0 comment

news

Urgency in Thailand cave rescue efforts as time runs out

written by EvanOverton

A leader of Thailand’s rescue mission to save 12 boys and their soccer coach from a flooded cave now says, “We have a limited amount of time.” He spoke after a former Thai Navy SEAL, 38-year-old Saman Kunan, died inside the cave complex from lack of oxygen. Ben Tracy reports from Chiang Rai.

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Urgency in Thailand cave rescue efforts as time runs out

July 6, 2018 0 comment

International

Ricketts leaves Orlando for Galaxy

written by LeliaB69xagcux

LOS ANGELES, California (CMC) – Jamaican goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts will line up alongside England superstar Steven Gerrard at LA Galaxy after being snapped up in the 2016 Major League Soccer SuperDraft.

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Ricketts leaves Orlando for Galaxy

August 3, 2015 0 comment