Boys trapped in Thai cave not yet ready to dive out - officials
The boys and their coach have been trapped for two weeks after floodwater blocked their escape route.
Friday 6 July 2018 21:33, UK
The Thai official leading the rescue attempt for 12 boys trapped inside a flooded cave says they are not ready to dive out yet.
The boys and their coach have been inside the cave in Chiang Rai for a fortnight after floodwater blocked their escape route.
They have been receiving basic training in breathing through diving equipment after they were located by British cave divers Rick Stanton and John Volanthen on Monday.
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"The boys are not suitable. They cannot dive out at this time - the problem is the children's readiness to dive," said Narongsak Osottanakorn, the commander of the rescue mission.
He said there were no plans to pull the boys out overnight, but if more monsoon rains fell and water rose in the Tham Luang cave rescuers may have to change their plans.
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Thailand's Navy SEAL commander earlier admitted they had limited time to get the group out, the first official admission that waiting months for the monsoon rains to stop may not be an option.
An experienced former Thai Navy SEAL helping with the rescue attempt .
Tesla and SpaceX boss Elon Musk is sending a team of engineers to help with the mission.
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He said SpaceX and another of his firms, The Boring Company, had "advance ground penetrating radar" that is "pretty good at digging holes".
Rescue teams, meanwhile, have thrashed through dense forest above the cave complex, looking for a place to start drilling a rescue shaft.
Engineers are working with the army, exploring an area they believe to be just hundreds of metres from where the boys and their coach are trapped.
Senior Thai army officer Chalongchai Chaiyakum said up to 200 people were exploring the hill to try to find a shaft.