New mission begins to restore cave

New mission begins to restore cave

Volunteers and soldier happy to play role, even minor ones, in cave saga

Workers pack up water pumps and gear used in the successful cave rescue of the 12 boys and their coach. (Photo by Patipat Janthong)
Workers pack up water pumps and gear used in the successful cave rescue of the 12 boys and their coach. (Photo by Patipat Janthong)

For many, the mission is over as all 12 boys and their 25-year-old coach trapped inside Tham Luang cave in Chiang Rai for 18 days are now in the hands of doctors, but for 260 people still working at the muddy site around the cave entrance, the mission is not done yet, or even just begun.

Pipat Thong-urai, a soldier from Phitsanulok, arrived at the cave a few hours after Narongsak Osatthanakorn, head of the command centre coordinating the rescue operation, announced its successful completion on Tuesday night.

"My job is to retrieve all equipment used in the rescue from the cave and return it to organisations who took part," he said while dragging a large plastic pipe left inside to the muddy cave entrance.

Private Pipat said did not know how long it was going to take as the cave was full of leftover gear such as hoses, electrical wires and water pumps.

"Last night while I was working in Chamber 3, the water level rose quickly due to heavy rain, so the Navy Seals told us to leave quickly. Water is still a problem," he said.

The soldier said he is proud to play a part in one of the biggest global news stories in recent years even though it is not the exciting part that gripped the world.

"My role might be small, but I'm proud of it," he said.

In a small tent near the cave entrance, Teerawut Janpha, a Provincial Electricity Authority technician, awoke to inspect electric generators he had set up to supply power to workers inside the cave.

Mr Teerawut has been at the site since the rescue mission started last month and says he's willing to remain until everything returns to normal.

"There are still hundreds of workers here and they need electricity, so my job is not done yet," he said.

A short walk away from Mr Teerawut's tent, Jamlonglak Saikaew, a nurse from a community hospital in Chiang Rai's Phan District, was giving medical advice to a site worker.

"It rains almost every day, so people can easily get sick. Many workers with a cold and sore throat come to me asking for medicine or advice," she said.

Ms Jamlonglak is another volunteer who has been at Tham Luang since the start of the rescue. Her four-member team works in rotating shifts to take care of volunteers and workers.

"At this rescue site, everyone joins in and play important roles that's why we have done what no one expected we could do. I would like to see the love and cooperation displayed over the past 17 days to continue in our country," she said.

Near the medical tent, Arthit Wannapan, a Department of National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) official, picks up scattered garbage piece by piece.

"The DNP is now trying to assess the damage in the cave caused by the operations and turn it into a safer tourist destination, so we now have lots of work to do," he said.

Deputy DNP director-general Chongklai Worapongsathorn said the department is working on short- and medium-term plans to rehabilitate Tham Luang cave and its surrounding landscape, adding some of the damage caused in the cave included holes drilled into cavern walls.

Tham Luang cave is part of Doi Nang Non forest park and covers an area of about 5,000 rai. Plans are afoot to upgrade it to national park status.

Located 453 metres above mean sea level, Tham Luang is a huge limestone cave complex with a large cavern at its entrance. The complex has many stalactites and stalagmites and three smaller caves.

Mr Chongklai said the department aims make the cave a major tourist destination.

To prevent a repeat of the recent drama, he said that there would be clear signs to warn tourists which parts of the cave are off-limits.

"For the DNP, our challenging mission has just begun," he said.

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