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The Way This Football Coach Kept 12 Boys, Trapped In A Thai Cave, Alive For 18 Days Goes Viral
A few weeks ago heartbreaking story captured everyone’s attention. In Thailand 12 boys, aged between 11 and 16, and their 25-year-old coach went missing. After the boys’ bikes were found next to an entrance of a cave it became clear that the torrential downpour had left them trapped in it.
It took 9 days of an intense rescue operation to find the boys alive and another 9 days to get them to safety. After 18 days trapped in the cave twelve boys and their coach have finally been rescued.
However, during this intense and stressful time, many people blamed the boys’ coach Ekkapol Chantawong. In defense of Ekkapol, Twitter user yvvonelim9 posted a thread about the coach and gathered some very important facts. Despite being accused of irresponsible behavior by taking children into the cave, it seems obvious by now that Ekkapol played an important role in keeping the trapped children alive.
Reportedly, the kind-hearted coach was the most malnourished because he gave away his share of food to the children, he taught the boys to meditate to help them conserve energy and kept their spirits high until the moment they were rescued.
Ekkapol proved himself to be a true hero in keeping the children alive, scroll to read his life story below!
More info: twitter.com
RELATED:
In Thailand, 12 boys and their 25-year-old football coach became trapped in a cave when rain flooded the escape route
Twitter user yvvonelim9 posted a thread about the coach and gathered some important facts about his life and his role in keeping the children alive
Today, after 18 days trapped in the cave twelve boys and their coach has finally been rescued
Image credits: Ekkapol Chantawong
During this intense and stressful time, many people have blamed the boys’ coach
Others praised the coach for helping to keep the children alive
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What do you think ?
OreOs 7 years ago
The thing is, no one expected the cave to flood. Flash floods can happen very often in tropical countries, especially during the monsoon season. And such floods happen within seconds. It is a miracle that they are alive, and I believe without the coach's help, it would have been difficult for the boys to get out alive.
Sheila Tamado 7 years ago
The sign says that. But the rain starts from July to August. It was only June at that time...
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rl_louise 7 years ago
Before pointing fingers, let's be happy all kids and the coach are finally out. It is important now to support them and make sure they are safe. The experience must have been traumatic and it will be more when they will know a seal died in the operation.
diane a 7 years ago
who would even want to point a finger at this wonderful guy who kept his team alive and made it the miracle of the year. The boys would probably have gone into the caves regardless if he had been with them or not. If he had not been there it would likely have been a very different and tragic outcome
Load More Replies...
Tiny Dancer 7 years ago
Bless his heart, the coach did nothing wrong. The flood wasn't expected, how could it be his fault? From the sounds of it, in the end, he actually helped save their lives. What an incredible Hollywood tale this turned into! I honestly didn't think there'd be a happy ending, but they all made it out safe and sound, yeah! Let's hope they all stay that way.
Carol Emory 7 years ago
I am always a believer that tragedy happens because the experience let's you handle something greater down the road. Think about the progression of events. If he hadn't been the only member of his nuclear family to survive that disease, he would have never gone to live with distant relatives, he would have never been sent to a monastery and learned valuable skills like meditation and patience, he would have not been the one to go take care of his ailing Grandmother, so he never would have been put in the position to look after those boys and save them when it was necessary. Think of the fact that anyone else in his situation would have probably still led those boys into the cave, but may have lacked the skills and compassion to make sure all of those boys would lived through the experience. And whether he likes it or not, he has 11 "sons" now that will look after him until the day he dies.
Tiny Dancer 7 years ago
Amen, Carol, well said! I'm a firm believer in the hand that fate can play in our lives. Long story short, if one of the world's leading neurologists hadn't fallen in love with a nurse in St. John's, Newfoundland, here in Canada, I would be dead now. He happened to be visiting her in the '70s when I was brought in and was the only doctor in a room full of 'em that didn't like the shade on my head x-ray. No one else thought it important. He talked my parents into letting him "cut me open" to check and found a blood clot the size of a fried egg at the base of my skull. Hours away from reaching my brain. So, yeah, I hear ya!
Load More Replies...
Kiahna 7 years ago
Amazing. I've been following the news for a while and I was so glad to find out that all of the boys had been brought out safely. It's a miracle that God was watching out for them and that they all are alive and in a place that they can get proper treatment. I pray now that they all recover well.
Krishna Vishwas 7 years ago
Trip was supposed to be fun and adventurous. We all would have done that.. go exploring. It was flood which trapped them. Coach is a good man. He did all he could do. Those kids didn't freaked out, didn't hyperventilated. They kept calm and survived.
OreOs 7 years ago
The thing is, no one expected the cave to flood. Flash floods can happen very often in tropical countries, especially during the monsoon season. And such floods happen within seconds. It is a miracle that they are alive, and I believe without the coach's help, it would have been difficult for the boys to get out alive.
Sheila Tamado 7 years ago
The sign says that. But the rain starts from July to August. It was only June at that time...
Load More Replies... rl_louise 7 years ago
Before pointing fingers, let's be happy all kids and the coach are finally out. It is important now to support them and make sure they are safe. The experience must have been traumatic and it will be more when they will know a seal died in the operation.
diane a 7 years ago
who would even want to point a finger at this wonderful guy who kept his team alive and made it the miracle of the year. The boys would probably have gone into the caves regardless if he had been with them or not. If he had not been there it would likely have been a very different and tragic outcome
Load More Replies... Tiny Dancer 7 years ago
Bless his heart, the coach did nothing wrong. The flood wasn't expected, how could it be his fault? From the sounds of it, in the end, he actually helped save their lives. What an incredible Hollywood tale this turned into! I honestly didn't think there'd be a happy ending, but they all made it out safe and sound, yeah! Let's hope they all stay that way.
Carol Emory 7 years ago
I am always a believer that tragedy happens because the experience let's you handle something greater down the road. Think about the progression of events. If he hadn't been the only member of his nuclear family to survive that disease, he would have never gone to live with distant relatives, he would have never been sent to a monastery and learned valuable skills like meditation and patience, he would have not been the one to go take care of his ailing Grandmother, so he never would have been put in the position to look after those boys and save them when it was necessary. Think of the fact that anyone else in his situation would have probably still led those boys into the cave, but may have lacked the skills and compassion to make sure all of those boys would lived through the experience. And whether he likes it or not, he has 11 "sons" now that will look after him until the day he dies.
Tiny Dancer 7 years ago
Amen, Carol, well said! I'm a firm believer in the hand that fate can play in our lives. Long story short, if one of the world's leading neurologists hadn't fallen in love with a nurse in St. John's, Newfoundland, here in Canada, I would be dead now. He happened to be visiting her in the '70s when I was brought in and was the only doctor in a room full of 'em that didn't like the shade on my head x-ray. No one else thought it important. He talked my parents into letting him "cut me open" to check and found a blood clot the size of a fried egg at the base of my skull. Hours away from reaching my brain. So, yeah, I hear ya!
Load More Replies... Kiahna 7 years ago
Amazing. I've been following the news for a while and I was so glad to find out that all of the boys had been brought out safely. It's a miracle that God was watching out for them and that they all are alive and in a place that they can get proper treatment. I pray now that they all recover well.
Krishna Vishwas 7 years ago
Trip was supposed to be fun and adventurous. We all would have done that.. go exploring. It was flood which trapped them. Coach is a good man. He did all he could do. Those kids didn't freaked out, didn't hyperventilated. They kept calm and survived.
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