Where:
Doi Nang Non, “Mountain of the Sleeping Lady”, is a mountain range of the Thai highlands located in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand.
Tham Luang Nang Non, “Great Cave of the Sleeping Lady”, is a limestone cave in the Doi Nang Non range. It is a little more than 6 miles long, and has many narrow passages and tunnels winding under limestone strata.
What Happened:
A local junior football (soccer) team ventured into the cave on June 23. The twelve boys age 11 to 17, and their coach, Ekaphol Chantadee Wong, 25, had visited the cave before and were there on a team outing. It began to rain and they were trapped inside by rising water. Warning signs are posted, so just exactly why they entered the cave at this time is not known.
Divers found the boys were on a ledge in an air pocket about 2.5 miles into the cave, about a half-mile down. At least 1.5 miles of the path is under muddy water – about 15 feet at some point.
All twelve boys and their coach were reported to be alive on July 2. Because of non-stop rain it has been nearly impossible to rescue the boys, although they were provided with food and water. Divers from Thailand, Britain, and the United States joined in the search and rescue operations.
How the boys were rescued:
While water was being pumped out of the cave, divers placed a safety rope and additional oxygen tanks along the path between the cave mouth and the “Pattaya Beach” where the boys were located.
The first boy emerged in the early evening local time Sunday, July 8. Three more came out of the cave over the next two hours. Another four have been reported rescued on Monday, July 9.
Each boy is given a diving suit, boots, gloves, helmet and a full-face diving mask, then tethered to a diver, breathing from an oxygen tank the diver carries.
Most of the boys can’t swim, which complicates rescue efforts. Rescue workers and Thai navy SEALs started teaching some of the boys and their coach how to swim and dive Wednesday.
An additional four boys and their coach remain in the cave and are waiting to be rescued.
Stella's Place 
This is very good. I makes it very clear what has happened.
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Thanks!
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Thanks Stella, very good information and visuals.
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It finally occurred to me that you all were very interested in the story, so we should have a thread devoted to it.
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It’s ok I’ve been reading about it as I’m sure have others, but it is fantastic to have it here and all put together.
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I am very claustrophobic so I can’t follow this story too closely. I pray they are saved.
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Most of them have been – in fact, they may all be by now, but I haven’t checked this morning.
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As am I! I only give it a cursory look to see they are progressing on the rescue. Have only been in caves 2x, & then only under huge protest! I don’t even like tunnels on roadways.
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Not to be a party pooper but now that the boys and coach are out, and once the rescue workers are out I hope when the book and movie come out that at least 90% of the profits got to the men and organizations who rescued them. I hope the family of the retired Thai Seal who died is given a hefty amount of money from the profits of any monetary gains.
I have great sympathy for these boys and their coach but in the end this was a tragedy of their own making and to make them heroes at this point is not right. They were steadfast, brave, survivors, they kept their wits about them, but they made a choice to enter the cave at the very beginning of the monsoon season knowing (at least the coach ) and comprehending the risk.
A lot of men were put at risk, a man lost his life, let’s celebrate the victory, the saving of the boys and their coach but lets not give them a monetary reward for putting themselves and so many others in danger. Love them, celebrate their rescue, let them go home to their families with a new appreciation of life and their own mortality.
Just as I finished typing I thought I bet a Gofundme account has already been set up for them.
I have no idea of these are children from poor families or wealthy families.
Anyhow gotta run!
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They just said on CBC that the Thai people don’t think there was anything wrong with them going into the cave. Different point of view, different culture.
I heartily agree about any money that is raised as a result of the rescue story.
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I wondered about that.
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