On June 23rd, The Moo Pa (Wild Boars) soccer team, ranging in ages 11 to 16, decided to take a detour on their way home from practice and tour a cave. However, after exploring the underground tunnels for about an hour they found the cave had become partially flooded and their exit was blocked.
Realizing they were trapped, the group retreated further into the cave to find somewhere to rest for the night. When the water level started rising fast a couple days later, 25-year-old coach, Ekaphol Chantawong ordered the boys to find higher ground. When it seemed they might soon be submerged, he told the boys to start digging and look for a possible exit.
Nine days later rescue divers located the team sheltering on a ledge surrounded by water. About two miles of narrow, flooded passageways separated their refuge from the main entrance. Efforts to pump water out began immediately as authorities tried to take advantage of a break in monsoon rains. 1
