Return to Transcripts main page

NEWS STREAM

Thailand Rescue Operation; Destination India; More Than 100 People Killed After Record Rainfall; Dawn Sturgess Died Sunday From Nerve Agent Novichok; U.K. Brexit Secretary Resigns Over Compromise Plan. Aired 8-9a ET

Aired July 09, 2018 - 08:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

[08:00:00] IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: ... Thai authorities, this has been under way for eight hours. But probably in the

last three to four hours now, according to a member of the rescue team at the mouth of the cave, we have now seen three boys come out from depths of

about 2.5 miles, around four kilometers brought out today.

Three rescues today. This comes on top of four boys who were brought out Sunday evening, out of a total of 12 boys and their 25-year-old coach. So,

there are still people trapped inside to the best of our knowledge. But this has been a day of rescues. One of those boys has already been

medevaced to the hospital in Chang Rai, the provincial capitol, which is about an hours drive away, flown by military helicopter.

The latest we've gotten on the two more recent rescues is that the boys are in field hospital near the mouth of the cave. I can't stress enough how

difficult the rescue operation is and deadly, because last week, a Thai former Navy SEAL diver actually died trying to ferry provision supplies on

the perilous, narrow, and flooded tunnel to and from where the boys have been trapped now for more than two weeks.

That's part of why this rescue effort is so difficult, and why frankly the rescuers are such heroes. We've heard that the boys have been outfitted

with full open air face masks since none of them are trained for this kind of delicate, dangerous work.

But again, out of the 13 people who had initially been trapped, we're hearing of seven rescues between Sunday and Monday. I'm going to turn it

back to you guys, and my colleague Matt Rivers who is waiting at the hospital.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Ivan. Please keep us posted with what you hear from the mouth of that cave. We appreciate it. As Ivan was

saying, the three boys rescued so far this morning on their way to get medical treatment at a hospital near that cave. That's along with the four

children who were rescued yesterday. Our Matt Rivers live for us at the hospital. Matt, give us the very latest.

MATT RIVERS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, John. What we're expecting this hour will likely be, if all things go well at that field

hospital Ivan was just talking about, is kind of a repeat of what we saw during the 6:00 a.m. hour where the boys are initially treated near the

cave. They are put in a helicopter.

They are flown to an airport, an old airport just south of our location here, and then they are put in an ambulance where they drive right along

this road behind me heading into that hospital just over my shoulder there going into the emergency room, and receiving treatment.

We have seen that scene play out five times already. And we expect to see it play out a sixth and seventh time relatively soon. Once inside that

hospital, we are getting more details in terms of how they are treated.

They are immediately brought to the eighth floor, or a section of the eighth floor has been turned into a sterilized isolation unit that has been

set up specifically for these people trapped in this cave. There is a concern that their immune systems have weakened. They would be more

susceptible to illness.

And there's also a concern that they could infect others based on what kind of illnesses they could have picked up while in the cave. So out of an

abundance of caution, the boys are kept in isolation for one to two days. And that also means if their parents come to this hospital, they won't be

able to give their kids a hug. They have to stay two meters away from them at all times.

BERMAN: All right, Matt Rivers, stand by, because we have more breaking news. We understand that an eighth child, the fourth today has been pulled

from that cave. Our Ivan Watson near the scene. Ivan, what are you learning?

WATSON: That's right. We've just heard from a member of the rescue operation who is at the mouth of the cave who says he's now seen an eighth

boy emerge from the cave in the hands of rescuers. So, just a remarkable number of hours where, you know, one after another they've brought people

who were trapped for more than two weeks out from deep, deep beneath the mountain behind me from the network of tunnels, and brought them out into

the waning minutes of this Monday here in northern Thailand.

We have seen in the past half hour an ambulance go past. We've seen a helicopter fly over head in the last hour or two. And we assume that some

of these movements are for moving some of the boys around to getting them to medical attention.

The eighth boy that was brought out was taken promptly to a field hospital up at what you could describe as the base camp at the mouth of the cave

complex to be looked over by medical health professionals before he would be medevaced further.

But again, eight people now emerging from the cave between Sunday and Monday, that brings it to four more still believed to be inside -- four

more boys as well as a 13th member of the group, which was a 25-year-old soccer coach.

[08:05:04] And, of course, we'll bring you the latest if, and when we hear more. John and Erica.

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: Ivan, I want to ask you really quickly. We know the families said that they will stay together there at the cave area -- at

the staging area. As far as we understand, they do not yet know the identities of the eight children who have been pulled out. Are they at a

point, Ivan, if you know, where they can actually see these kids being brought out?

WATSON: You know, the press, and it is a massive contingent of international media journalists who have gathered here for this, you know,

incredible vigil were moved down from the base camp at the entrance of the cave within the last 36 to 48 hours. So we don't have eyes on.

And not hard to blame the authorities because they have delicate, hard work to do, so we can't see what access the families have at the mouth of the

cave. But clearly there's been an effort to perhaps in solidarity for the families to kind of hold and be patient.

It has gone on for more than two weeks, and to be patient a bit further, and they said they will not leave until everybody has been saved. And

we've been in contact with a lot of the families between yesterday and today who said they did not know if their's were among the lucky ones who

had emerged.

And I spoke with a relative of the adult soccer coach who is in there, and she said she didn't know, and probably wouldn't know until everybody had

emerged safely. So this is being very carefully managed by the Thai authorities. The information that's been given out is being kind of

carefully distributed out in press conferences, and the management of the information flow extends to families as well, it seems.

HILL: And to your point, understandable. Ivan, appreciate it. We'll continue to check in with you obviously throughout the morning. Also with

us now, former Navy SEAL John McGuire and CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta. John, I want to start with you.

We look at this, and it was four boys brought out yesterday, and now we're learning about four more in a very short period of time this morning. It

would seem as if things were picking up rapidly. I mean, can we say that's a good sign, or is it too early?

JOHN MCGUIRE, FORMER NAVY SEAL: Well, good morning, John and Erica. Thanks for having me. You know, before I answer that, I want to say I

speak for the world when our heart goes out to the Sergeant Kunan, who gave his life to rescue these people.

I mean, you know, rest in peace proud man. Yes, it's a good sign. I think, we have Great Britain, the United States, Thai Navy, and several

others. These guys are the best in the world, and are working very hard. So it's looking good. It's not over yet.

BERMAN: Optimistic signs here, but I do not think anyone will breathe sigh of relief until the remaining five people -- the four children and the

coach trapped inside are removed. And, Sanjay, again, we don't know if they're done for the day. Yesterday there were four out, today there are

four more.

Maybe they got past that barrier. They needed to get extra oxygen in, and maybe they figured out a way to get more oxygen, and they can try to finish

the efforts today. But saying they don't -- saying they're up against the same limitations, I have to imagine, the trauma of being one of the four

kids and coach left under for another day, that's just got to be grueling.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. There's no doubt. I mean, obviously, you go back now to just put a timeline on this back to

June 23rd. So we're talking about this real-time. But June 23rd is when they went missing. July 2nd was when they were first found alive. And

now, you know, the days have been ticking by.

It's countermanded though, John, the sort of grueling nature of staying there longer with the fact that maybe they're getting this information that

their predecessors have successfully been rescued, so that certainly could lift their spirits, and more pragmatically speaking, I mean, you know, this

is an extraordinary rescue.

I mean, each time they do it, they're probably learning a couple more things, the conditions may change a bit. So, all of those lessons could be

of benefit to the remaining boys and the coach in the cave.

BERMAN: No question. Again, we've also seen the pictures coming out of northern Thailand. It's not raining. They've been lucky one more day on

the weather. Last several days they've had enormous luck. These monsoon rains seem to have held off.

John McGuire, to Sanjay's point, as they continue the rescues, you do have to imagine they're learning. Do you think perhaps they did figure out a

way to get beyond the barrier, get more oxygen tanks down in those cave, so that they can get the five other people out now, and not have to wait

another day?

MCGUIRE: You know, in perfect weather conditions this would be a very difficult rescue. The fact that we have the rains coming in, you're right,

time is an issue. You're right. They adapt. They improvise, they learn. But these guys are, you know, obviously, as navy SEALs, were combat divers.

There master divers, these dive experts from around the world have come together, they -- this is what they practice. So they're learning.

They're getting better. But I will tell you, two things we haven't mentioned too much is trying to teach young people how to scuba dive.

There's something called a gas embolism, where you can send a bubble gas to the brain and they call it embolism, or you can imagine as pressure

increases -- volume increases you could pop a lung.

[08:10:10] So you have got to be relaxed. And the current -- I mean, we heard about the Navy SEAL -- Thai SEAL that died. I don't know what the

conditions are. None of us knew, but water is a very powerful thing. So, fighting that current, and having that rope, and having that team to help

those young guys is a big effort.

HILL: I should point out, we're just learning CNN has just confirmed that operations have now finished for the night. Sun setting there in Thailand

to answer one of your questions earlier, John, about when they could go back out.

And, John, I just want throw this to you as well, we're looking at what is an 11-hour -- in best case in what we know, an 11-hour round trip for these

divers as they make their way in, and then have to get back out. How much down time would they -- would they need before they could go back in?

What's safe?

MCGUIRE: This is a question for me?

HILL: For you, sorry. John McGuire to you.

MCGUIRE: All right. I though it was John. Yes, so what down time -- you know, the thing is none of us know the situation on the ground. And I

don't know if they have, you know, substitute divers, but they -- I mean, obviously you want to be clear in your thought process.

So I would hope that they could rotate divers on schedule, and also is that water all the way, or they have taken a break -- taken a break. You know,

we don't know the situation on the ground, but these guys know what they're doing.

BERMAN: We do know that it isn't a swim. It isn't a four kilometer swim. There are areas they can walk and get air. We also do see -- know what the

limitations are that four seems to be the limit, four yesterday, four today. They suspended operations.

It might be because they have to get the oxygen tanks down there, Sanjay. So we do know there are four children and the coach still inside that cave.

How would you treat them medically? What's the right way to deal with them not just psychologically, but also medically to make them feel as if this

is going to be OK?

GUPTA: There is a doctor, my understanding, they're getting a medical checkup before actually beginning the rescue part, actually beginning the

arduous journey that you just described, the four kilometer one. You know, and here -- in this sort of situation, the basics do apply.

You know, you want to make sure that -- this is unusual again as John was talking, because of the full mask, and the scuba diving, some of these kids

haven't swam before, anxiety is not just a concern long term here, it's a real concern in the short term because if someone becomes anxious, starts

to have panic attack or something, that could put their life in danger.

It could put the rescue divers' lives in danger as well as they try and rescue that person. So, that's going to be a big part of it, obviously

making sure physiologically that they have enough hydration, they have enough strength that can deal with any potential hypothermia, all of that

as part of the rescue mission.

That's what you have to do at the beginning, at the end. There's another triage as they exit the cave to basically determine how quickly now do they

need to get them to the hospital. All of that applies. But the doctors and nurses at that point have been preparing for this, really understanding

most likely that the shape of these kids are going to be in, but also ready for any surprises.

BERMAN: All right, Sanjay Gupta, John McGuire, thanks so much for helping us understand this. I have to say, what an extraordinary operation. We

now have eight kids pulled from this cave in two days, but it has taken the two full days. Four more and a coach still inside there. And it is

remarkable.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is, and...

ROBYN CURNOW, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Robyn Curnow here in Atlanta at the CNN center. You've been watching all of CNN's coverage of that cave rescue in

Thailand. We will continue to monitor events there on the ground, we've got full teams there in northern Thailand. We'll go back to them in just a

moment.

But I do want to update you on some other news that is making headlines across the world, in particular in southwest Japan where we know now more

than 100 people are dead after days and days of torrential rains there causing flash flooding, and landslides.

Now, military personnel and other first responders are struggling to evacuate those caught in these fast-moving waters. And the Prime Minister

is warning it is also a race against the clock.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CURNOW: The rain has slowed, but the storm has left behind a rising death toll, and a growing number of missing or displaced persons in eight regions

of Japan. Rescue teams are assessing the damage, wading through flooded streets and dodging mangled structured to get to those in need before

taking them to join the 10,000 people already in rescue centers.

Crews are tasked with figuring out how to reach the victims in remote areas, while trains are down, and streets are eroded or covered with

debris. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe cancelled his upcoming trip abroad to concentrate on disaster relief, and allocate resources to the

recovery effort.

SHINZO ABE, JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER (through a translator): As there are still many people missing, we are increasing the number of self defense

forces to 73,000 members who are doing their utmost to rescue and assist locals.

[08:15:00] CURNOW: The unprecedented downfall forced 2 million people to flee their homes, and with hundreds of houses destroyed or damaged, those

who stayed described clinging to whatever they could for survival.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through a translator): First, I stayed at the ground floor, but noticed the water is coming up below the floor around 5:00 p.m.

We felt the pinch, and we went up to the second floor. We though that should be safe based on our past experience.

CURNOW: For the houses still standing, about 17,000 of them are without electricity, and more than 200,000 are without water. Government officials

warn that people in affected areas still face the threat of landslides, flooding, and extreme weather conditions.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through a translator): My house was totally messed up. My car was washed away. But at least I survived. I'm a bit scared that we

could be trapped if we go into the affected areas. We cannot move from there.

CURNOW: Business and personal activity has come to a halt in the aftermath of the storm as the full scale of the damage is still being assessed.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CURNOW: Now, the Red Cross has distributed thousands of emergency kits to those affected by this deadly flooding. Joining us now from Tokyo is Naomi

Akamatsu from the Red Cross in Japan. Naomi, good to speak to you. So what's the situation right now?

NAOMI AKAMATSU, PROGRAMME OFFICER, JAPANESE RED CROSS (via phone): Thank you very much for this interview. So far, we have been able to deploy 18

emergency response teams on the ground, and an on going assessment is continuing.

As well as we see patients in urgent medical care, especially in the evacuation centers, so our emergency teams are also providing these health

care along with distribution of blankets and medical kits, which are also essential needs in these emergency centers.

CURNOW: OK. So in these emergency centers, let's just deal with that, you say that you're also dealing with injuries there. What kind of injuries?

AKAMATSU: Lots of them are also focusing on minor injuries, especially around the feet, and often legs. Also we have been hearing voices from our

teams on the ground that have mentioned that ever since they have arrived in these evacuation centers, there has been an endless cue of patients. So

they have been really working around the clock to provide medical care.

CURNOW: And out in the rural areas and the remote areas, are you managing to get the people?

AKAMATSU: This is also a challenge so far. There have been roads that have been uncovered from the massive construction, but however there are

also still roads that are being blocked. So we're trying to find ways to go around it, which is actually taking time.

But the good thing is that we have been trained people, and also teams on the ground before this disaster from daily operations to manage hospitals

in these regions. So I think this is enabling access. We are still (Inaudible) challenge.

CURNOW: So we know that about 100 people are dead, more than 100. Do we know how many people are missing? It seems that also that the number of

people missing are over a large area, eight regions of Japan.

AKAMATSU: Yes. To be very frank, these kinds of floods and heavy rain have been seen over the past years. But having said so, we have never seen

in such scale. So this is really a very devastating scale that we have never seen. And this threat around the region is also making it a

challenge.

About the numbers, we -- I can say so far is the updated number from the government statistics. However, there are still people missing, and I'm

sure these numbers are increasing by hours. So to be honest, the situation is still under assessment, and we are seeing changes over hours.

CURNOW: OK. We're going to leave you to keep on doing important work there in Japan. Naomi Akamatsu, thank you so much for joining us from the

Red Cross. Thanks, Naomi.

So you're watching News Stream. Ahead, a woman in England has died from the nerve agent novichok. Police there have given an update on the link to

a poisoning of a former Russian spy and his daughter. We'll update you about that.

Also, more headaches for the British Prime Minister after her Brexit secretary has resigned, all of the details on that including his

replacement, next.

[08:20:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CURNOW: OK. So we have some good news for you. We know that in the last hour the eighth boy has been taken out of that cave. So that is good news.

All in all, eight boys have been removed, evacuated from that cave. Also, we know that these evacuations have stopped for the day. It's over. Night

is falling in Thailand.

They're going to go back for the last remaining four and the coach tomorrow. So, certainly this is proceeding at a positive pace, but they're

taking it slowly. And we know that these boys are certainly going to be delighted to be out of that cave. So eight in all. And they are all in

hospital.

They're either at field hospitals just outside the cave, the ones who have just been removed in the last hour or so. The other boys who were taken

out yesterday, and one other have been evacuated. There you see getting in. They have been taken in stretchers into these helicopters, and flown

to the local regional hospital.

So they're receiving treatment there. And that's important because they're under going tests. We know that they've been exposed to low oxygen, and of

course they went without food for a good 10 days. So, certainly they're vulnerable. Then there's that hour's long exit through these dark watery,

flooded, narrow passages, rushing with water.

That in itself has been traumatic. But then also bear in mind the concerns about infections, also fungal infections in particular that they might have

picked up in that cave. There is a lot to monitor with these boys. They're in isolation. They have not yet met with their parents. But we're

keeping an eye on events there in northern Thailand, and will continue to monitor all of this great news coming from those caves.

And also want to update you on what's been happening in the last hour. Police in London say they cannot determine if the nerve agent that killed a

woman on Sunday is from the same batch that was used to poison an ex- Russian spy and his daughter back in March.

So let's go straight to Salisbury in England. Phil Black is standing by. You are there in Salisbury. What is the latest? What are we hearing from

police? Hi, Phil.

PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, Robyn, you remember that back when Sergei and Yulia Skripal, the former Russian intelligence operative and his

daughter, were poisoned in Salisbury, the British government were furious because they feared that novichok is deadly and indiscriminate weapon could

in theory harm other people.

Now it appears that four month later that is exactly what has happened. The latest over night is the death of Dawn Sturgess, 44-year-old mother of

three who lived at a social housing facility just down the road behind me here. Her partner, 45-year-old man is still critical in hospital.

And the police are still working a likely theory, and that is that these two are simply innocent victims, collateral damage in the attempted hit on

the Skripals back in March. They believe somehow, some where this couple found, picked up, and handled a contaminated container that had been

discarded by the Russian hit squad back in March.

Now, we say it's a theory because they simply don't have the evidence to connect it yet, but the real point of concern still is the fact they

haven't found this contaminated item. The police say that is the absolute focus of their investigation right now because logically, as long as it is

out there, and loose, and unaccounted for, there is a threat, the people of this community. Robyn.

CURNOW: There certainly is. Phil Black there, thanks so much. Staying in Britain, the country has a new Brexit secretary after the shock resignation

of David Davis. Davis says he wasn't willing to be a, quote, reluctant conscript to a compromise Brexit plan agreed to by the cabinet on Friday.

Nic Robertson joins me now from Downing street with more on the resignation. And of course, the man named to replace Davis, who is he?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, Dominic Raab been an M.P. for eight years, minister for housing and planning, educated Oxford

and Cambridge, so a good -- and a good educational pedigree, if you like.

[08:20:00] But perhaps most importantly for the Prime Minister, he is someone who can grasp quickly, and grapple with the details of Brexit. He

is a solicitor by training, but he is also someone who backed the leave campaign.

So, this is someone who originally, you know, was trying to persuade the public in Britain that leaving the European Union was the important course

of action. So for Theresa May, for all her critics and allegiance through this Brexit process, she is appointing someone like David Davis, who

Dominic Raab is replacing, who is -- who is behind getting out of the European Union.

What we've heard from David Davis is that he feels that the track that the Prime Minister agreed with her cabinet in seclusion checkers her country

retrieved on Friday is not going to deliver what Theresa May said it would deliver, which is essentially put Britain in a position to cut unilateral,

bilateral trade agreements with other nations, other countries around the world outside of the European Union.

So that was the point of departure he said after many, many of issues before this. But perhaps most importantly for Theresa May right now is

does this rally opposition against her at the moment you have to read the temperature as not yet, but there are still a few key players yet to hear

from. Robyn.

CURNOW: OK. And I think we're also hearing from the Prime Minister from parliament in about an hour's time. So we'll also monitor there. There at

10 Downing Street, Nic Robertson, also good to speak with you. Thanks for that update, Nic.

So, still ahead here at CNN, eight -- eight of the 13 young boys have been rescued from a cave in Thailand so far. It's great news. We'll hear from

our Dr. Sanjay Gupta, not only about the physical, but also the psychological aftermath of this ordeal. Stay with us for that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CURNOW: Hi, everyone. Welcome back I'm Robyn Curnow here at the CNN center in Atlanta.

WATSON: And I'm I van Watson in northern Thailand in Mae Sai, very close to the rescue operation that has been under way for two days now, pulling a

total of eight boys out from deep within the mountain behind me here, four throughout the afternoon, and the early evening hours on Monday.

And we have a helicopter flying overhead as I speak right now, and now the rescue operations have been suspended after a second apparently successful

day of bringing some of these people out from deep within the cave system that they have been stuck in now for more than two weeks. Now, to get more

of a sense of kind of what is happening to the boys who have been rescued, I'm going to cross over to my colleague Matt Rivers.

[08:30:00]

He's about an hour's drive away from where I am right now in the provincial capital of Chiang Rai outside the hospital where the rescued boys are now

being treated where some of them have been medevac by air from this location. Matt, if you can hear me now, what is the plan for these boys

once they reach that medical care clinic?

MATT RIVERS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, there's been kind of a protocol followed, Ivan, so far with all of the boys that have been brought

here so far. There are five boys currently in the hospital right now. We expect boys six, seven, and eight now out of the cave to join their

teammates inside that hospital pretty soon.

Generally speaking, what's been happening is the boys have been air lifted to an airport just south, an old airport south of where they are, and they

were driven by ambulance the last little bit of the way up to the hospital there just behind me. They were immediately put into the emergency room.

And then up on the eighth floor, Ivan, there's an isolation unit that these boys -- they have specifically set up for these boys.

It's sterilized, it's isolated, and that's where these boys are going to have to be for one to two days. They're not going to be allowed to be in

physical contact with anyone else out of abundance of caution just in case their immune system have weakened, just in case they brought in any

diseases outside from the cave.

Basically, the authorities are saying, look, we don't want anything to go wrong and so we are going to take all precautions that we possibly can. So

you have one to two days of isolation, Ivan, and then five to seven days if not more than that of observation by doctors after that to make sure that

the doctors can do everything they can to make sure this recovery goes as smoothly as possible.

WATSON: So you end up with this somewhat counterintuitive scenario where you've had parents who have been waiting for weeks now who still aren't

allowed to reunite with their rescued children, actually aren't really being told if their kids have emerged from the cave complex or not. But

that seems to be part of the plan here.

You know, I wanted to ask you, Matt, because a few days ago, you were not just where I'm standing right now, but you were at what you could describe

as base camp near the mouth of the cave network. You got to see the rescue operation up close, meet some of the potential divers who have been doing

this very dangerous work.

I wanted to ask you, what kind of sticks out from those conversations you had from what you saw of that operation now that we've seen eight out of 12

boys rescued in less than 48 hours?

RIVERS: You know, Ivan, I think my big takeaway from the time that we spent up near the cave interacting with the divers, watching those early

stages of the operation before the attempts actually started to go forward was the kind of dichotomy of hope and positivity and a desire to get these

kids out and a willingness to do whatever it took, but also at that time, there was a distinct sense of the reality of the danger of this mission.

No one was shying away from the fact that it wasn't the number one option to swim these kids out using diving equipment. Authorities did just about

everything possible that they could to avoid having to do that because everyone was aware of how dangerous that kind of dive could be, how

technical of a dive it was.

We saw a former Navy SEAL, Thai Navy SEAL, he lose his life in that cave. That was a heartbreaking example of that. And so you have this very

interesting kind of two sides of the coin there where everyone was saying, let's get these kids out, whatever it takes, but also it was very

dangerous.

The fact that here just a couple days later you and I are having this conversation where I'm talking about a unit inside the hospital where five

boys are already, where three more will be soon, that is nothing short of miraculous and it was far from guaranteed.

WATSON: Yeah. And we do have to, you know, there is the possibility of getting swept up in the euphoria and we have to be careful because one

professional diver did lose his life just last week. And we still haven't gotten an update on the medical condition of three of the four boys who

were rescued today.

So we do have to be careful, even though you've probably got much of this country, Thailand, united hoping and praying for these boys to be rescued

and it has caught the attention of much of the world as well.

Matt, stay tuned. Stand by there. We are going to come back to you if there are any updates. Thanks very much for your view from Chiang Rai there.

Now, among this group that have been stranded there for more than two weeks, there was one adult, the 25-year-old soccer coach, who was with him

when they got lost in the cave network on June 23rd.

[08:35:00] I caught up with his auntie, so to speak. It's a cousin who said that he, in fact, had a tragic childhood. He was an orphan and he told

me a little bit more about the single adult with this stranded soccer team. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

THAMMA KANTAWONG, AUNT OF COACH TRAPPED IN CAVE (through translator): His father had passed away when he was 10 years old. After that, a year later,

he was 12 years old, he went to the temple to become the novice monk. While he was the novice monk, he was living in Lamphun (ph) Province. He didn't

stay at my home. He loves those kids very much.

Kids prefer to go out with him whenever their coach invites them to go. Children's mother trust him, that he can take care of their child pretty

well because he loves kids very much. He is a very good person, loves kids, takes care of kids. He is very diligent, volunteers himself to help others.

The language he speaks is very polite. For him, whoever will take him how (INAUDIBLE) he is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: OK, we're going to have to go to a break now, but stay with CNN. We'll have more news about the cave rescue here in Thailand and other news

around the world with my colleague Robyn Curnow after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CURNOW: All of this week, CNN is exploring a different side of India. The world's second most populous country is attracting thrill seekers and

outdoor enthusiasts including those looking to catch some waves.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): India is massive. It is the seventh largest country in the world. Its bustling cities crowded, but along the

country's seemingly endless coastline, you'll find this. Miles of sandy beaches, a perfect place for some surf.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): In the surfing world, India is one of the last surfing frontiers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): India is a newcomer to the world of surf, according to Ramaham Paranjape (ph), a self-described surf swami (ph) from

the southwestern state of Kanatika (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Getting to surf these uncrowded waves with almost no crowd, so you have the beach and the waves to yourself. And on top of that,

you know, if you get to experience an amazing culture.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): He took a liking to the sport over 10 years ago. And in time, he became an ambassador for it at the Mantra Surf

Club.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Back in 2007, you know, surfing was still very unheard of, so we were the first surf club in India back then. From there onwards,

we thought over thousands of people, you know, the last 10 years who come and who learn surfing, who experience surfing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): As one of a handful of first generation surfers, he's now passing on his love of the sport to the next generation,

including 10-year-old Brithe Hegde.

BRITHE HEGDE, SURGER: Before I surfed, my father brought me here with all his friends. When we went to the beach, I saw them surfing. So, it was very

exciting for me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Brithe can now Hang Ten with her older peers, even taking part in surf competitions from time to time.

[08:40:06] She's learning what Ramaham (ph) has felt for years, surfing can be more than just a sport, it can be a way of life.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think surfing is a very important aspect of my lifestyle, I would say. It keeps you very humble and makes you very small

in the ocean when you're with your best buddies surfing and catching waves.

You forget everything, all the things back home. You have to leave everything behind and then go surfing. You can't take all these things with

you to the beach and to the ocean and go surfing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CURNOW: Again, we are certainly keeping an eye on what is happening in Thailand. Ivan Watson is there on location. And we know that eight boys

have made it out. They're healthy. They're safe. They're in hospital, on their way to hospital. What else do we know about them?

Ivan, I'm hoping you can hear me. No, it seems like we might have lost our comes (ph) with Ivan. We're going to try and reconnect those in the

meantime. But I do want to update you. I think he's back. Are you there, Ivan? Can you hear me? How are the boys doing?

WATSON: Hi there. Yeah. You know, the rescue operations here have been suspended now. The night has fallen here. But it has been a remarkable

second day of operations with now four more boys brought out. We're still waiting to find more about their current condition.

Of course, they're being put in effective quarantine at a hospital about an hour's drive from here. They're ferried there by helicopter. And so their

families are not able to see them or even learn, we're finding out, if their sons are the ones who have been rescued.

So the vigil continues for four boys and a 25-year-old soccer coach, football coach, still trapped deep within the mountain behind me. Robyn?

CURNOW: And so it's night there. The sun has just set. What happens overnight? How do these teams prep for what we hope is the last rescue?

WATSON: Well, you know, this is a big operation. And after the rescues that took place on Sunday, we were told by the chief of the operation that

they needed to resupply oxygen, for example. Before the rescues began, this was an 11-hour round trip that divers would have to make to reach the

cavern where the boys were hiding, some four kilometers in, and then to get back out.

So, this is something that is careful and painstaking work and it's dangerous because it has already claimed one life of a professional diver.

This is a big multinational effort with divers from around the world as well as Thai professionals.

We'll be bringing you updates as the rescue operation continues in the days ahead. I'm Ivan Watson reporting from Northern Thailand. Back to you,

Robyn.

CURNOW: Thanks so much, Ivan. We will check in with you for the next few hours and will talk over the next few hours and get some updates as they

come in.

Thanks so much to you all and here at the CNN center. Before we go, we're going to say good-bye from both of us, but also Christina Macfarlane will

be joining us any minute now. Stick around for that "World Sport."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:45:00] (WORLD SPORT)

END