A former Thai Navy SEAL has died during the attempt to rescue the 12 boys trapped in a flooded cave.
Authorities say the diver died on Friday (NZ time) from lack of oxygen while attempting to return to a command centre around two kilometres inside the cave. He reportedly ran out of air while placing air tanks at stages throughout the cave.
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He has been named as Samarn Kunan, 38. His body has been sent to Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok.
The football team and their coach are stuck 4km inside a mountain in the north of the country.
They were found emaciated on Tuesday (NZ time), waiting for help. Their condition was described as "too weak to move" by CNN's Mark Phillips.
Urgently needed food and medical supplies have been sent to the boys to help them while rescuers plan the mission.
But with the monsoon season getting under way, if they're not rescued in the next few days they may have to spend the next four months in the claustrophobic cavern, 1km underground.
Newshub.
