After ten days of furious rescue efforts, twelve boys and their coach belonging to a local football team who had gone missing in Thailand’s Tham Luang Nang Non cave system, were found alive earlier today. The boys, aged between 11 and 16 years old, along with their coach entered the cave system on Saturday, June 23, for a team outing, but became stranded in the dark tunnels by a sudden and continuous downpour that flooded their return path.

The consequent rescue operation spanning the last ten days was headed by Thailand’s Royal Navy Seals who were helped by experts from the UK, China, Australia, and the U.S. and involved about 1000 people. "I confirm they are all safe," Narongsak Osottanakorn, governor of the local region Chiang Rai, told reporters on Monday night.

Osottanakorn said the rescuers had reached Pattaya Beach but found it was flooded. The divers continued a further 300 to 400 meters where they located the team.

Thai News Agency illustrates the rescue effort underway (Photo: Twitter, @TNAMCOT)

The Thai Navy released a video on Facebook showing the moment the group were found. In the almost 5-minute clip, the boys are illuminated by torchlight while a diver can be heard speaking to them.

They were discovered by two British divers on a ledge in a cavern after the marathon search operation. "How many of you?" one of the rescuers calls out in English, before a faint "Thirteen!" is heard in response.

"Thirteen? Brilliant!" the rescuer says, before continuing: "We are coming, it's OK, many people are coming ... we are the first."

The group of boys appear to ask when they will be taken to safety and one of the unseen rescuers replies: "Not today. There's two of us. We have to dive. We are coming. OK? Many people are coming. We are the first."

One of the boys is heard to say: "Eat, eat, eat, tell them we are hungry."

The rescuer tells them: "You are very strong, very strong."

When the group, whose voices are indistinct, ask what day it is, the divers pause, then one replies, "Monday, Monday. You have been here... 10 days. You are very strong."

The divers explain that they have to leave but will be back. "Thank you so much," says one of the huddled group. "Where you come from?"

"England. The UK."

"Oh. See you tomorrow."

The two British rescuers are believed to be Rick Stanton and John Volanthen, who arrived in Thailand early last week. It took them several hours to reach the group on Monday.

Bill Whitehouse, vice chairman of the British Cave Rescue Council, said the UK divers described the journey to the chamber as a “gnarly dive”. “The description in (the) email was it was ‘a bit of a gnarly dive’, which means there was a bit of complications and problems,” he told BBC Breakfast.

“(There was) quite a strong current, so they were having to swim against the current and pull themselves along the wall. The visibility in the water wouldn’t have been very good.”

The challenge is now to extract the stranded boys safely, with rising water and mud impeding access to their location.

Governor Osottanakorn warned that the mission is "not done yet" and a medical team needs to enter the cave network to assess the boys. "We will drain all water out from the cave then we will take all 13 people out of the cave. We are now planning how to send nurse and doctor inside the cave to check their health and movement. We will work all night," Osottanakorn said.

Additional divers will accompany the doctor and nurse, Capt. Akanand Surawan, a commander with the Royal Thai Navy, said in a news release. Rescuers will also pump air into the cave to improve conditions, according to Surawan.

The current plan is reported to be that divers will stay with the group while they wait to be extracted and will use the time to teach them how to use scuba gear, to aid with their eventual rescue.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 03, 2018 12:12 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).