A Thai Navy SEAL has died while trying to rescue the team of young footballers trapped in a cave in Thailand.

Saman Kunan, 37, died due to a lack of oxygen in the tunnel, said Commander Arpakorn Yookongkaew.

Kunan was trying to reach a cavern set up as a command centre 1.2miles inside the cave system when he ran out of air at 2am local time.

He was returning to the centre after placing oxygen tanks through the cave's underground network.

Yookongkaew said the rescuer was working in a volunteer capacity to help the 12 boys and their 25-year-old coach.

A diving partner tried to revive Kunan but was unsuccessful.

His body has been sent to Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok and will be flown to his hometown in Roi Et for a royally-sponsored funeral, the Thai king announced.

Kunan's final Facebook post was a picture of him proudly posing with his comrades at the mouth of the Than Luang cave.



A huge operation is underway at the Tham Luang Nang Non cave complex, where dozens of Thai Navy SEALs and international experts are attempting to find a way to get the boys out.

Rescuers have been examining ways to rescue the boys, including fitting them with full-face oxygen masks and accompanying them on a long, dangerous swim through the tunnels.



However, the death of an experienced diver in the cave system underlines the inherent risks in attempting to move the boys, who are physically weak after days without food.

It comes as officials warned the window of opportunity to free the youngsters is now 'limited'.





Last image, Moment Kunan preparing to fly out to join the rescue mission and revealing how he hoped to ' bring the kids home'.


Thai military didnt allow the death of their colleague disturb their mission, instead, they said 'We won't let his life be in vain. We will carry on.'





Elon Musk sends engineers from his Boring Companyto help Thai cave rescue mission and proposes creating underwater air tube for the children to crawl through.


https://www.nairaland.com/modifypost?post=69127284&redirect=%2F4601915%2Fnavy-seal-drowned-thailand-cave%2369127284
Lalasticlala, Mynd44

See how military men are doing their possible best to sacrifice their lives for the citizens of their country....... While the murderers we have in Nigeria will kill you before your time.... smh

Kunan was working in a volunteer capacity for the rescue mission. He is pictured here with fellow members of his team at the cave.

Kunan also posted this photo of his team planning the mission before going into the cave.

RIP Man.
You died while trying to save others.

The Nightmare rescue



Meanwhile, fears are growing that time is running out to rescue the boys and their coach.

Officials have long feared the coming torrential rain would catastrophically flood the cave system in Chiang Rai and make rescue impossible.




'At first, we thought the children could stay for a long time... but now things have changed, we have a limited time,' Yookongkaew said, insisting morale remained strong despite the death of the diver.

'These accidents can happen sometimes to anyone in the field, but we will go ahead and keep working,' he told The Guardian.

He added: 'We won't let his life be in vain. We will carry on.'

His effort and determination will always remain the hearts of all divers.

'May you rest in peace and we will accomplish this mission as you had wished.'

The SEAL unit said in a statement that Kunan's diving partner had found him unconscious in the water and tried to revive him but could not save his life.

This morning, devastated Thai navy Seals paid tribute to their former colleague, describing him as a 'skilled and talented Seal and a triathlon athlete'.



Speaking to CNN on Wednesday, Cade Courtley, a former US Navy SEAL with thousands of hours of experience of diving in difficult conditions has warned that there will be fatalities if the children have to dive out.

He said bringing the children out through the flooded tunnels could be treacherous.

He says that even divers with considerable expertise have been 'climbing up, climbing through, going through water with zero visibility for hours to finally get through the team.

Now you're going to ask 11 to (16) year olds some of whom cannot swim to make that same journey for the first time breathing air underwater? I think that's a terrible mistake given some of the options we have.'



A four hours journey, miles long guide rope has been put in place and some of the submerged/flooded tunnels are so narrow that their oxygen tanks will have to go through first.

Using 19 industrial pumps, Thai military has so far pumped out 128million litre of water from the cave since the rescue operation kicked off, enough to fill over 50 Olympic size pools in the hope of lowering the water level in the cave for the boys to be floated out with their heads above the water.




Rescuer workers prepare small diving masks to deliver to the youngsters inside Tham Luang Nang Non cave.

The mother of one of the trapped Thai boys breaks down as authorities announce the death of a former Thai Navy Seal diver during the ongoing rescue operation.



Soldiers and rescue team getting supplies to the trapped kids.


Plan of the cave network, man to scale/size, see the pattaya Beach. That's a hole they need to crawl and squeeze through.

Died saving others
Died in active service
Rest on Hero

BTW

Some Naija ppl dieing for nothing

Our soldiers, they die for reasons that doesn't concern national security these days and expect us to honour em. well I don't know what else to think. But these Thai guys have been schooling our military for the past 3weeks now. I hope they turn their natural brutishness to love and compassion for an average citizen of FRN.

So unfortunate. I was hoping this would not happen.

Explorer has come again oooo.

Sure ticket to FP.




Very risky I must say.

The level of oxygen in the cave has also become a cause for concern, with authorities revealing levels have dropped to 15 per cent.

Narongsak Osatanakorn, the governor of Chiang Rai province, said that oxygen has been depleting inside the cave due to the presence of hundreds of rescue workers.

Holes are being drilled in the jungle above the cave to try and increase air supply and about 30 oxygen tanks have also been released in their area.

Authorities are also laying an air pipe from the entrance into the cave but said on Friday that another 1.7km of piping is needed.

The first casualty. My God!

This is a place where there is value for life
Condolence to the family of the Navy Seal

The real heroes. So terrifying even imagining their lives in the cave. God help them. So much fear all thanks to a group of kids and their overgrown coach. Curiosity can be a good and a bad thing sometimes.

I don't like this - one bit!
See all the wahala these kids have put everyone into

RIP to the hero naval officer

This world sef, some don dey der for weeks with little hope of rescue, dem no die, some wey wan come bring dem out come die cuz air finish.
RIP gallant officer. You are the real mvp

but wait oh... Wetin dem find go inside cave?

God will help them

This get more serious than i thought

OhmyG! Haaa! Dearest Lord in heaven! Bet why would these boys wanna travel that far to write their names on the wall biko! What kind of dementedd trainer do they have! Whew! May his loved ones be consoled. O ma ga o.

This is not just good..

What sort of witchie witchie children be dis?

So sad......RIP!

The body of a diver who died while taking supplies to a trapped Thai soccer team has been repatriated with honours.

Former Thai Navy SEAL Saman Kunan died after running out of oxygen in the cramped, waterlogged passageways of the Tham Luang caves in northern Thailand.

The 38-year-old was trying to reach a cavern set up as a command centre 1.2miles inside the caves and had been leaving oxygen tanks around the network as part of preparations for rescuing the 12 young footballers.

But he ran out of air at 2am local time and his diving partner was unable to revive him.

His body will be flown to his hometown in Roi Et for a royally-sponsored funeral, the Thai king announced. Pictures today showed military officials transporting his flag-draped coffin.


Thai soldiers and police officers pay their respects as a Thai Navy plane carrying the body of Saman Kunan takes off at Chiang Rai International Airport today
Lalasticlala

Hero! Hero!! Hero!!! You've earned legendary respect, deathless Soldier.

but...... how the f*ck did those children get their in the first place?

meneski:
but wait oh... Wetin dem find go inside cave?

na one yeye soccer coach wan show say him get technical knowledge for geography.

Nostradamus:
na one yeye soccer coach wan show say him get technical knowledge for geography.

weti consan geography n soccer na? Ehn? See now person head don enter.

meneski:
weti consan geography n soccer na? Ehn? See now person head don enter.

abi oo!!!the thing vex me scatter my head.them get luck say no b naija sha

Nostradamus:
abi oo!!!the thing vex me scatter my head.them get luck say no b naija sha

over luck na in de wori dem. Naija! Na dead meat dem for don turn as bastard hunger go wire dem ehn... But o, to comot dia now na wahala oh.

Tesla’s Elon Musk offers to help rescue Thai soccer team trapped in underground caves
Musk’s companies said they could help by trying to determine the boys’ precise location, pumping water or providing heavy-duty battery packs

Read more on https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2154005/elon-musk-offers-aid-cave-rescue-trapped-thai-soccer-team