members of the United States Indo-Pacific Command and British
cave diving experts who brought specialized equipment for the
treacherous rescue mission; and
WHEREAS, The 12 teenage boys and their assistant coach were
finally found alive on July 2, 2018, two miles from the cave
entrance and more than a week after they had become stranded;
and
WHEREAS, The joy of the discovery quickly turned to a
desperate search for a plan to get the group of 13 out of the
cave; and
WHEREAS, Despite efforts to find an alternative entrance,
make an artificial entrance or drain the water, worsening rain
and decreasing oxygen levels made it clear that the group would
only be rescued by going out the way they had entered the cave;
and
WHEREAS, The pathway from the entrance to the cave to where
the group was located took six hours for even very experienced
divers, and the return trip took five hours; and
WHEREAS, The teammates and assistant coach would need to be
taught not only how to dive but also how to swim; and
WHEREAS, On July 6, Saman Kunan, a former Thai Navy SEAL,
lost his life when he ran out of oxygen in a narrow underwater
passage while returning from a supply trip; and
WHEREAS, On July 8, with deteriorating conditions, divers
began to extract the group, with two divers swimming with each
individual, using a rope to guide each individual; and
WHEREAS, On the first day, the strongest four boys were
brought out of the cave alive and taken to the hospital, where
they were carefully examined and prepared for an eventual return
to normal life; and
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