After nine days of search and rescue mission, authorities in Thailand have successfully found alive 12 missing boys and their coach, and are on the verge of being rescued.
The 12 boys and their coach have been found alive
Rescue teams found all 12 boys and their coach alive in a cave in Thailand Monday, according to a high ranking person involved in the search and rescue operation.
The boys, who range in age from 11 to 16 years old and are part of the same soccer team, have been missing for nine days. A park officer first sounded the alarm after spotting the boys' bicycles near the entrance to the off-limits cave complex.
The cave labyrinth is popular with tourists and for the first kilometer (0.6 miles) or so inside the cavernous entrance, limestone rock formations hug high ceilings, creating an almost amphitheater-like atmosphere.
Late last week trekkers discovered a hidden opening deep in the jungle giving an alternative point of entry to the cave system. The natural chimney, around 1.5 meters in diameter and at least 22 meters (72 feet) deep, was found to the north of the opening of the cave, where the boys' bikes were found last Saturday.