Not such good news

Would it be possible to drill an escape route from the top and get them out that way? The boys are trapped some 300 meters deeper down than the Chilean miners .....no small thing, but would that be too much of a difference to be a deterrent?

well firstly a mine would already have some reinforcements wouldn't it? stability wise its a different kettle of fish.

they're dealing with totally different geology to the mine.

It would be an entirely different process. With the risk being that the disturbance causes the whole cave to collapse I would expect.

I’m sure that many of us are reading this thread and watching the progress of this terrible event. I haven’t felt I could add much to the discussion that hasn’t already been said BlueBelle and am sure I’m not alone. Please don’t think that we aren’t interested.

willa45 They are looking at boring a hole more at the week end when Elon Musk's borehole company arrives. A large part of the various armies are working from above and they have tried to dig in various places.
Pebbles77 We have a shameful press.

Jaycee5... :0( we surely do ...

they are considering buddy divers-an experienced diver per child,this is a 2 mile long journey and can take up to six hours.

I really hope for a positive outcome. This must be so frightening for those children most of whom cannot swim. I don't see how they will have the energy to swim for that long as well as being scared if they can't swim. I also read that the water is muddy or sandy with no visability which makes it harder. One of my nightmares is being stuck in a cave and having to swim through passages. I can't watch films with things like that. Reading about the young coach he sounds like a decent guy who didn't think things through, Thailand is not really known for being health and safety conscious. My heart goes out to everyone involved especially the diver who lost his life. All those people from different countries are risking their lives too.

Right first of all I have already said my words were clumsy when I said about interest I was not meaning people weren’t interested individually, just that some subjects take off in bucket loads this didn’t, but as I afterwards said it wasn’t meant as a reprimand at all I just worded it badly ......I can’t keep saying it
Anyway getting back to the cave and the reason for going in
I m sure it’s a thing many people do, look at all the caves and pot holes people go in in the uk, yes I know this was different and not organised but I think it is something that wasn’t unusually, I remember going down Wooky Hole a big open cave area but feeling really tentertive and not wanting to go too far Again I went into a cave system in Kuala Lumper that lots of tourists go to and remember how scary and damp and foreboding it felt
I m sure this was a simple adventure that went badly wrong The young man has written to the parents and apologised they have all said they forgive him if they do get out alive it will be on his shoulders for ever poor man I think it’s very harsh to talk about prosecutions

Poor little souls, I didn't think it was so bad

I can't think of anything else really. I keep seeing those lovely faces, when they know they're on camera, one or two holding up the 'V' for Victory sign and those with their hands in a prayer position of greeting. I'm trying to maintain a positive view by visualizing all of the boys being brought out of the cave.

Along with the rest of the world I am thinking of and praying for these boys as the hours go by, hoping they can somehow survive this.

It will be a deep tragedy if they don't make it and in the meantime their ordeal has been/is awful. Poor lads. I hope some way of helping them can be found but it's not looking good. God Bless them and their families.

It is a terrible situation. I read that in one part of the tunnel complex the divers have to take off their oxygen tank and push it through ahead of them, then put it back on again once through the narrowest bit of tunnel. I can't imagine how boys who cannot even swim could do that and apparently the visibility is virtually nil and it is like swimming through coffee. I do hope the boys and their coach get out alive but with oxygen running out and storms coming I can't see it happening and wonder if it would be safer to stay put for four months until they can walk out if there would be enough oxygen for them and enough food could be taken in to keep them going. I don't think the boys realise how dangerous a situation they are in. Their families nerves must be in shreds. I look in the paper every day to see how they are getting on and if they can pump more water out of the cave.

Neither me nor DH sleep very well and last night between us we designed a long tube filled with air that the boys could be hauled /guided through
(in a kind of daisy chain format) .
This ( among plenty other things) keeps me awake at night .

Please let someone do something xx

jaycee5....Thanks for that. It's validating for me that the notion of drilling down is being considered as an option and that Elan Musk and some of the other rescuers think so to.

Like everyone here, I'm following their story and worrying constantly about the fate of those boys. My heart goes out to all of those involved, especially the parents. With the deadline closing in, it behooves rescuers to start thinking outside the box....God willing someone will come up with a better way to get them out alive and safe!

BlueBelle: here in Italy, this is the main news item all day. People really care here.

They have started an operation to try to bring them out. Not sure yet how.

I can't imagine what the football coach was thinking, taking young boys into such a dangerous place. It is very sad about the diver who died and I hope they manage to get the boys out safely.

BlueBelle, perhaps your wording was unfortunate but, it happens. However your retraction and apology were very speedy and totally accepted. Forget it. The written word, eh?! For myself, I've publicly shunned this topic and one other current news item as both are causing me complete angst. I imagine my grandchildren as the 'victims' and that is unbearable so I take the coward's way out and try to push it out of my head. There are so many other pleasant things going on at the moment that I try to give them predominance. Not admirable, I know, but true. I am somewhat pessimistic of the outcome of this saga but I've also read of some amazing brainstorming taking place so I'm inspired by that and..... very prayerfully hopeful. No more to say.

Apparently they went in as some sort of initiation ceremony. New team members had to go to the back of a cave and carve their names on the wall. The rain wasn’t forecast and they got trapped. What I don’t understand is how they got the wrong side of a bit that seems to be permanently flooded. And so far in. I expect it’ll all become clear when they’re out. (Positive thinking)

Apparently the men going to rescue the boys went in nearly three hours ago. It’ll take another three hours to get to them before they can start to think about bringing them out.

I woke at 2.30am and it was all I could think of.
I pray for a happy ending, I am not full of confidence.

I woke to the news the rescue has started and felt relief but then realised it’s started almost out of necessity not because they ve found a wonderful safe way to get them out
Gillybob I think they have considered a tube but not sure how far that idea went I m sure it’s all to do with time running out how long would it take to build a tube ?
The last I heard they are bringing them out in fours with one diver to four boys but even that sounds hurried as originally they said one diver to one child
I think drilling down is too risky Willa with possibility for the cave to collapse in on them
I think the rain is worsening
It’s all dreadful I feel I m holding my breath between news items and can’t think of much else

I have no words to put on here. No suggestions, no accusations..........just to say I am praying for them, that is all.

Like everyone else, I'm following this news with bated breath. I hope the boys and their young coach are rescued and that no one else is hurt, or dies, during the rescue effort.
I once took part in a 'team building' exercise that involved going into a underground caves. They were well lit, the route was well marked but I still felt uneasy and was relieved to come out into the air. Let's hear it for health and safety culture and laws.
The idea of prosecution of this young coach needs to be ruled out immediately. If they are all saved, I'm sure he'll re-live this for the rest of his life (as will the boys)

Iam64, I so agree with your last paragraph. The coach, only 25 himself, could not have predicted this. I was so glad to see that the parents are not blaming him. What good would that do? If they get out alive, that is all that matters.

If only we had a like button there are so many posters I d like to give a thumbs up to
We ll just all keep hoping and hoping and rejoice in the world coming together to help in the way they have ?