Another Tham Luang hero dies

An image from a video taken on July 3, 2018 shows a Thai Navy SEAL medic helping the young footballers inside the Tham Luang cave in Chiang Rai. (Royal Thai Navy Facebook Page)
An image from a video taken on July 3, 2018 shows a Thai Navy SEAL medic helping the young footballers inside the Tham Luang cave in Chiang Rai. (Royal Thai Navy Facebook Page)

A Thai navy SEAL who took part in the dramatic Tham Luang cave rescue in Chiang Rai last year has died from a blood infection he contracted during the operation, the Royal Thai Navy said on Friday.

Petty Officer Beiret Bureerak had been receiving treatment, but his condition worsened, the navy said in a statement.

Another rescuer, former navy SEAL diver Sgt Saman Kuman, died during the rescue operation that captured the attention of the world.

Twelve members of the Wild Boars football team and their coach Ekapol Chanthawong had gone to explore the cave on June 23 last year, when a rainy-season downpour flooded the cave system and trapped them underground.

They survived for nine days on water dripping from rocks before they were discovered. Volunteers from abroad joined the rescue effort, which ended on July 10 when the boys and their coach were all brought out safely.

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Vocabulary

  • condition: the physical state of a person or animal, especially how healthy they are - อาการ, สุขภาพ
  • downpour: a lot of rain in a short time - ฝนตกหนักมาก, พายุฝน
  • explore (verb): to travel to or around an area or a country in order to learn about it - สำรวจ
  • SEAL: Sea, Air and Land, referring to a type of military unit and strategy begun by the US Navy -
  • treatment: the process of providing medical care - การรักษา
  • volunteer (noun): someone who is not paid for the work that they do; someone who does something willingly without being required to - อาสาสมัคร
  • worsen (verb): to get worse, to make worse - เลวลง, แย่ลง, ทรุดลง

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