The same SEAL, who is not authorized to officially speak to the media, told the outlet that oxygen is being pumped into the chamber of the cave where the team is now trapped.
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However it was found that malnutrition had led to exhaustion for the team’s coach and two boys, CNN reported.
There is hope that enough water can be pumped out of the cave tunnels for the boys to be able to wade – or be floated – out.
They estimate over 130 million liters of water has been pumped out of the cave. It takes another five hours to return. Several of the boys are seen smiling as they interact with the navy SEAL, who cracks jokes.
The boys are around four km (two and a half miles) from the cave’s entrance, according to the Thai navy, and about 400 meters from Pattaya Beach, a large, elevated point inside the Tham Luang cave complex. “Those who are ready can come out first”, said Narongsak Osotthanakon, governor of Chiang Rai.
A video shared by the Thai Navy SEALs leading the rescue mission shows them introducing themselves and stating their age. Before the boys reach a T-junction three km north of the cave’s entrance they will have to dive at least once, said rescue workers.
“It’s very likely that while the boys were in the cave but not yet discovered by rescuers that they experienced various degrees of anxiety, fear, confusion, vulnerability and dependency, and perhaps hopelessness”, said Paul Auerbach, of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Stanford University’s medical school.
The boys have spent the last two days learning to dive and now 13 pieces of equipment are being prepared in case they need to quickly swim for their lives.
The group was found to be skinny, but in good health, and have received high-protein drinks as they are treated by the Underwater Demolition Assault Unit.
The British Cave Rescue Council, which has members taking part in the operation, said in a statement that “although water levels have dropped, the diving conditions remain hard and any attempt to dive the boys and their coach out will not be taken lightly because there are significant technical challenges and risks to consider”. However, not all of them can swim and some areas of the cave network where they disappeared after going exploring following a soccer game on June 23 are still flooded all the way to the ceiling. On Thursday, CNN saw an old-style military phone and loops of cable being carried into the cave by engineers.
In footage of the discovery a light is cast on the faces of the trapped boys, while a rescuer with an English accent is heard trying to reassure the group that help is coming.
“We are drawing our jungle trekking resources together”. We do have a plan and if it all fits, we will proceed. “Creating an environment that can make them safely get away, that’s feasible”.
“It seems that’s fraught with perils because cave diving’s not like normal open water diving”, British Cave Rescue Council Vice Chairman Bill Whitehouse told Al Jazeera.
Medics, including Army doctor Colonel Pak Loharachun, have completed health checks for all team members and found them relatively healthy.
Renewed flooding could add further complications to an already risky rescue operation.
“In the previous days we were fighting with time”.
“We are draining out as much as our capacity allows”.
The governor did complain of some well-meaning, unregistered volunteers who dug holes in a bad spot and actually caused more water to flow in and obstruct the operation.
The AFP’s Specialist Response Group (SRG) personnel are among the many divers and support staff who have been sent by a number of nations.
Despite efforts to teach the group to dive, authorities believe this would be risky.
Thai authorities are working with Navy SEALs to run an internet line into a flooded cave so that communications can be established between the group and their families.
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Thai authorities have also suggested removing the team in stages, depending on the boys’ conditions.
