Thailand Cave Rescue

 
 
 

Vocabulary

cave	way (2)	brilliant
squad	relieved	celebrate
effort	narrow	hampered
dozen	severely	route (3)
focus	mission	well-wisher
rescue	trap (2)	stranded
pump	torrent	all over the world
hug	excited	find/found/found
oxygen	require	challenge (2)
reduce	section	audacious
former	involve	exhausting
hero	funeral	unconscious
escape	deep (3)	fly/flew/flown
wade	missing	one-by-one
crawl	hold (2)	concerned
drain	squeeze	operation (2)
fear	resume	ambulance

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Video

 

 
 

 
 

Transcript

Rescue Diver: “How many of you?”
Thai Soccer Players: “Thirteen.”
Rescue Diver: “Thirteen? Brilliant! You have been here . . . ?”
Thai Soccer Players: “Ten days.”

Thai boys cave rescue.

Seventeen days in darkness.

They were all members of a football squad who had entered the caves after a Saturday practice with their coach.

The boys and coach were stranded in the Tham Luang Caves, Thailand.

They were soon reported missing by concerned relatives.

But rescue efforts were severely hampered by wet weather conditions.

There are dozens of teams here now, all trying to find a route into a cave system that’s many miles long. Rescue teams from all over the world joined in the search effort.

The first foreign assistance has arrived in the form of these US Air Force rescue specialists.

The focus outside the caves was on trying to drain them. Inside though, the entrance, which had been dry two days ago, was a torrent

British cave experts have started their search today, but even if they do manage to find a way in here, there’s no way of knowing whether this is where the boys and their coach are trapped.

Rescue Diver: “How many of you?”
Thai Soccer Players: “Thirteen.”
Rescue Diver: “Thirteen? Brilliant!”
Thai Soccer Players: “What day?”
Rescue Diver: “Monday, Monday. One week. You have been here?”
Thai Soccer Players: “Ten days.”

Relieved relatives and well-wishers from all over the world celebrated when the boys were found.

Mother One: “Today is the best day. I’ve been waiting for my son for so many days.

I’m so excited.

The first thing I will do is hug him.”

The boys hadn’t eaten in ten days, and were in need of oxygen supplies. Rescuing them would still require an extremely dangerous and long mission.

While a massive pumping effort is reducing the waters in the first section of the caves, it’s having less effect deeper in, where the boys are trapped.

Supplying the boys is a long and exhausting job involving dozens of Thai and foreign divers.

It was while returning from laying down these extra tanks that Saman Gunam, a a thirty-eight (38) year old former navy diver became unconscious and died.

Now, he’s being flown back to his hometown to a hero’s funeral.

The boys were now receiving much-needed food and medical care.

But an audacious escape plan meant they still had a huge challenge ahead.

Getting them out one-by-one involves them walking, wading, crawling and for long periods, diving. One hold narrows to around 15 inches (38 centimeters). So they have to squeeze through on their own.

The mission began successfully, and the first four boys were rescued.

Journalist outside Hospital: Well this is what all of those who have been involved in this operation have been waiting to see. We saw two ambulances go into this hospital earlier, that’s another.

The boys are coming out.

There are nine more, still in the caves.

But this first day went better than many had feared it would.

The following day, the rescue mission resumed successfully.

And by 10 July, everyone had been rescued from the cave.

All thirteen (13) are reported to be in good health.

 

 

Questions

1. Some retired Australian tourists exploring a cave system in Thailand got lost and trapped. True or false?

2. Did the soccer coach call 911 for help on his smartphone?

3. Only Thai rescuers were involved. Yes or no?

4. What two things made the search and rescue efforts very challenging and dangerous?

5. What did the person who discovered the trapped boys say? What did they talk about?

6. Besides actually rescuing the boys, what did the rescue teams do?

7. Where there any major setbacks?

8. All the boys walked out together. Is this correct or incorrect? Will they probably make a full recovery?

 

A. Have the trapped boys gained international attention and concern?

B. Do you remember similar rescue efforts?

C. I often went on school or group excursions. Yes or no?

D. Why was so much time, money, effort and manpower involved in the rescue? Is this the same as saving ill people in ordinary circumstances?

E. Are there moral, social, philosophical and political aspects surrounding the trapped boys and their rescue?

F. What will happen in the future?