(Dan Tri) – Directly participating in the rescue campaign for the Thai children’s football team trapped in Tham Luang cave, Sergeant Derek Anderson from the US Air Force commented that this was a rescue operation that `only happens once in a lifetime.`
Sergeant Derek Anderson (Photo: AP)
Sergeant Derek Anderson, 32 years old, a US Air Force rescue expert stationed in Japan, believes that the 12 players aged 11-16 and the coach trapped in Tham Luang cave (Thailand) are boys.
`The important thing is that the coach and the players always stand together, find a way to stay, have a desire to live and find a way to survive,` Mr. Anderson commented to the AP.
Immediately after confirming the information that 13 members of the children’s soccer team were missing on June 23, search and rescue forces tried to enter the cave, but failed twice because the cave was too deep and the slots were too narrow.
Anderson said: `When we arrived, the cave was dry, but just over an hour later the water rose 6-9cm and we were forced to go back out. At that time we realized that the problem was more complicated than we thought.`
“They had to use ropes to find their way in the dark cave.
Finally, after considering the options, Thai officials and the rescue team decided to dive inside to get the children out despite the fact that they had not yet recovered their physical strength and had no experience in cave diving.
How two divers took the player out.
Anderson said, each player was given a sedative, then placed in a carefully wired stretcher for two divers to pull out.
The players wear diving suits to keep their bodies warm while immersed in the water and wear oxygen masks that cover their entire faces.
According to Anderson, the process of getting the player out of the cave took several hours.
Some sections are completely dry but the terrain is dangerous, steep and craggy with sharp rocks.
Sergeant Anderson added that the oxygen tanks arranged along the cave are pumped with oxygen at a rate of 80% oxygen instead of the usual rate.
Sharing his thoughts about the rescue campaign in Tham Luang cave, Anderson said that this is a story that he has probably only experienced once in his life.
Minh Phuong
Synthetic
Nick John 
Naomi