Thai Cave Rescue: How The 25 YO Football Coach Helped The 12 Boys Survive For 18 Days

The Thailand cave rescue has been dominating the air waves across the world for the past two weeks. A football team of 12 teenage players and their coach went exploring a cave in Thailand, which flooded and left them trapped. A daring rescue op ensued, resulting in complete success on 10th July.

On June 23, 12 boys, aged 11 to 16, and their 25-year-old football coach became trapped in a flooded cave system in Thailand. Their rescue operation took 18 days and countless efforts on the part of the rescue teams, Navy SEAL divers, and everyone involved.

How the boys were rescued… From last SEAL video, #ThaiCaveRescue pic.twitter.com/nPImp1YzR8

— Abazada (@abazada2) July 11, 2018

As news of the 12 boys and their coach being trapped spread and other details about their situation were revealed, two sides of discussion emerged.

Some people blamed the assistant football coach, Ekkapol Chantawong, for leading the kids into the cave during a wet season. Others were glad that the children were not trapped by themselves, but had someone like him looking after them. It did prove crucial to their survival, after all.

It was then that Twitter user @yvvonelim9 decided to pen a thread, collecting information about Ekkapol’s personal life, and how he managed to help his 12-boys team survive the harrowing ordeal for 18 long days.

https://twitter.com/yvvonelim9/status/1015973954974990338

She begins by revealing information about Ekkapol’s childhood, which also began in tragedy. He was fortunate to survive a brush with death, but his family, not so much.

https://twitter.com/yvvonelim9/status/1015973958003318785

Ekkapol trained to be a monk while simultaneously coaching the football team at Moo Pa (Wild Boars) Academy.

https://twitter.com/yvvonelim9/status/1015973960075304963

The tragedy in his early years had a major influence on how he established a rapport with this students….

https://twitter.com/yvvonelim9/status/1015973963107667968

Clearly, he was a model coach who cared deeply for those boys.

https://twitter.com/yvvonelim9/status/1015973965276143616

Yvonne then goes on to tell us how Ekkapol always had the children’s best interests at heart. He would attempt to balance their academics with sports and make sure they always aspired to be bigger than the dreams their small town would permit them.

https://twitter.com/yvvonelim9/status/1015973967402635264

https://twitter.com/yvvonelim9/status/1015973969470504960

What he did for his students extended beyond the usual responsibilities of a football coach. To him, they were his family, and they too trusted their coach without a doubt.

https://twitter.com/yvvonelim9/status/1015973971592769536

It was this very devotion towards his students that prompted the coach to give away a major chunk of his share of food and water to the boys during those 18 dreadful days in the Thai cave.

https://twitter.com/yvvonelim9/status/1015973976399474689

He taught them one of the most important tactics that might have been crucial to their survival for so long….

https://twitter.com/yvvonelim9/status/1015973979213914113

When one of the boys’ parents were interviewed by a Thai news channel, they pointed out how Ekkapol was likely to blame himself for the entire tragedy. And he ought to be protected from that guilt.

https://twitter.com/yvvonelim9/status/1015973980816068609

A friend of Ekkapol’s from the monastery too concurred on the topic of the coach’s guilt.

“I know him, and I know he will blame himself.”

https://twitter.com/yvvonelim9/status/1015973984226037761

As mentioned earlier, the debate about whether the coach is a hero or in fact the one to be blamed in the first place for this tragedy still rages on. However, the rescue has shed light on several details about how Ekkapol helped the children survive, and the blame seems to be replaced by gratitude.

The negligence charges still withstand. But popular opinion deems Ekkapol a hero, who may have slipped in his duty to avoid such a situation in the first place but has redeemed himself by helping the boys at the risk of his own survival.

https://twitter.com/yvvonelim9/status/1015973988848156677

Here’s a picture of a note Ekkapol had written whilst in the cave.

“I promise to take the very best care of the kids.”

https://twitter.com/yvvonelim9/status/1015973990978867200

And if reports about his current, severely malnutritioned condition at the hospital are to be believed, he has managed to fulfill his promise to his best capabilities.

https://twitter.com/yvvonelim9/status/1015973982506348544

https://twitter.com/yvvonelim9/status/1015988636930588672

Now that the rescue has been accomplished successfully, and the 12 boys and their coach are recuperating well, one of the chief concerns amongst the people is the emotional state of mind of the coach.

First images of 13 rescued Thai soccer players being treated in hospital surfaced as they reportedly appear to be in good health. All 12 boys and their coach received medical and psychological assistance in the hospital in Chiang Rai city, and are recovering well #ThaiCaveRescue pic.twitter.com/zwH17W3egF

— CGTN (@CGTNOfficial) July 11, 2018

According to the deputy director of the justice ministry, there are strong chances of Ekkapol falling into depression over his role in the way things played out. He might even take the extreme step of committing suicide.

https://twitter.com/yvvonelim9/status/1016205093064982528

The best way to heal his guilt is to remind Ekkapol that what he managed to do for the kids far outweighs any blame that he might put himself through for what happened.

https://twitter.com/yvvonelim9/status/1016205095204089856

“If I got to see him, the first thing I would do is give him a hug and tell him he’s great.”

And indeed, here’s hoping Ekkapol and his 12 brave students find the strength to emerge safe and strong from this.