Thai Royal Navy SEALS(CHIANG RAI, Thailand) — A former Thai navy SEAL died on Friday working to deliver supplies to the soccer team trapped in a cave in Thailand, according to official reports.
The rescuer passed out and died from a lack of oxygen while on a mission supplying oxygen canisters, authorities said.
SEAL commander Arpakorn Yookongkaew said at a news conference the rescuer was working as a volunteer and efforts to revive him failed, adding, “Despite this, we will continue until we accomplish our mission.”
The BBC identified the diver as 38-year-old Saman Kunan. His death was confirmed around 2 a.m. local time.
The death of an experienced diver highlights just how difficult it may be to extract the 13 who are trapped. One escape plan called for having the boys scuba dive to safety.
Authorities are trying to pump water from the flooded cave, in which 12 boys and their coach have been trapped since June 23. More rains are forecast for the region and could complicate further rescue efforts.
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