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NEWS STREAM
Special Event Showing Thai Soccer Team Rescue. Aired: 8-9a ET
Aired July 10, 2018 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[08:00:00]
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR, CO-HOST OF CNN NEW DAY: They were getting less healthy and malnutritioned by the day, yet they were able to pull off one
of our experts told us a moment ago is the Apollo 13 of cave rescues, 12 kids and the coach now out of that cave.
These pictures we are looking at are some of the operations we've seen over the last few days. They were brought out four on Sunday, four on Monday,
and the five remaining today. It is wonderful news. Ivan Watson cracked a smile. I don't know -- I didn't know he had teeth.
ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR, CO-HOST OF CNN NEW DAY: Other breaking news.
BERMAN: I didn't know Ivan had teeth until this morning, but he couldn't restrain himself because this is such wonderful, wonderful news.
CAMEROTA: I mean Ivan has been in the worst corners of the world where there's been such -- obviously challenges to humanity and today we're all
so happy to be a part of this rescue.
And, Ivan, the herculean effort, global effort. There were Navy SEALs or SEALs, they came from around the world to volunteer in that selfless way
that heroes do to risk their own lives to go into that cave with blackout conditions to try to first find and then save those boys.
I mean, you've been there. Just tell us what the amount of emergency responders and the amount of people who've come to pray and what it's been
like at the base of that cave.
IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. I've got a lump in my throat right now because it's just such a wonderful story to get to
report and it's bittersweet, because, Alison, there was a diver, a professional diver who sacrificed his life, who lost his life in the narrow
chambers, the narrow tunnels leading to where the boys were trapped all this time.
The divers that we have gotten a chance to talk to, professionals have said this is the hardest thing they've ever had to do, because the distance that
people have to travel to reach that chamber, that cave where the boys were trapped, 2.5 miles in, 4 kilometers in the mountain behind me. And the sun
is setting here right now.
And tunnels that were just frankly flooded with the monsoon rains that this region had seen in past days that thankfully suspended for a couple of
days. We saw the heavy downpour again today and didn't know what affect that would have on the rescue operation.
But remarkably, the chief of the operation this morning was very optimistic and predicted that the last remaining five, the four boys, their coach
would be pulled out as well as the three Thai doc, the three Thai SEALs and the doctor who've been taking care of them predicted that they would all
come out today.
As far as the effort, I think it's safe to say that much of this kingdom, much of this country of Thailand has been watching, has been watching
closely the drama that's been unfolding in the caves, in the mountains behind me. There has been a remarkable effort on the part of volunteers
here where I am who have been bringing food, water, assistance to the rescuers, to the journalists who -- we don't deserve as much help who've
been monitoring this drama as it has unfolded here.
And people volunteering in the scuba diving community, which is not a big one internationally, the emergency calls went out throughout various
platforms saying, "Hey, if you know how to do this kind of stuff, come and help."
And some of the first people who actually found these boys were British cave divers who found them. So this has been a herculean effort. The U.S.
military has been on the scene, the Australians as well and, of course, first and foremost the Thais, and one of them unfortunately, tragically
gave his life to do that.
BERMAN: Right.
WATSON: But in this colossal multinational effort, 12 innocent boys, their coach, their lives to the best of our knowledge have been saved. And we'll
bring you the news as soon as we hear about the health status of the five who've been plucked from underground in the last hours.
BERMAN: Right.
WATSON: And of course the Thai doctor and the three Navy SEALs who have been helping, basically keep them alive for more than a week now
underground, Alisyn, John.
BERMAN: Ivan Watson for us very near the mouth of that cave. And let me just give you an update on what Ivan just said. We did just hear from the
Thai Navy SEALs that the four divers, they are waiting for the four divers, I think that's the three SEALs and the one doctor to come out of the cave.
They got the kids and the coach out first. They are waiting for the divers and the doctor, hopefully we'll be able to bring you that good news very
shortly.
CAMEROTA: Right. Hopefully, they're right behind them.
BERMAN: In the meantime, let's go to the hospital. Our Matt Rivers is outside the hospital where these boys have been taken one after the other
after the other as they have been rescued to try to get the health care and recuperation that they need.
[08:05:00]
Matt, what do you say?
MATT RIVERS, INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, John. It was just a minute ago that it was ambulance number 11 actually that just went behind us, that
means that boys 9, 10, and 11 have now arrived here at the hospital. We're expecting the 12th boy and the coach to be following up shortly after that.
Basically, the protocol has been the same. They come out of the cave where Ivan is. They're treated at a field hospital. They are airlifted to very
close by where we are and they are brought to this hospital.
As soon as they get here, they are brought upstairs to the 8th floor. There is a special unit that has been set up for several days now where
these boys go. It's an isolation unit. It's sterilized.
There is a concern amongst doctors that the immune systems of these boys and their coach have been weakened to the point where they're more
susceptible to infection, and so they're going to be quarantined for seven days, actually, seven whole days each boy to make sure that their recovery
goes as smoothly as possible. And they could be in the hospital for longer after that.
And it's worth noting that while they are in isolation, their parents cannot physically touch them. They can't go into that room. They have to
stand behind the glass partition, which is what we saw yesterday evening where four of the boys' parents were able to come and all they could do was
wave at their sons.
They wanted to touch them. They wanted to hug them and yet you have to think if you're a parent in that situation, you'll take what you can get
after just a brutal couple of weeks. This hospital, of course, they're going to treat these boys and that coach, but this will also be a scene
hopefully of just some remarkable reunions that just a couple of days ago were not guaranteed.
CAMEROTA: Oh my god.
Matt, please bring us all the breaking news from the hospital when you see anything. There is so much activity behind you, obviously that's a scene
where things are unfolding rapidly. Thank you very much.
We want to bring in now CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Sanjay Gupta and Paul Sumner, he is a rescue dive instructor with extensive cave-diving
experience.
Paul, are you as shocked as we are that 18 days later we are able to have the breaking news that every single one of the boys and their coach made it
out alive?
PAUL SUMNER, RESCUE DIVE INSTRUCTOR: Good morning, Aliysn, John.
I've got a lump in my throat, I got to tell you. Can we breathe now? This is just remarkable. This is outstanding news. And I'd say and Ivan I
understand you're out there as well. Thank you, all, for what you've done with this coverage.
Wow. We can take a breath, but we, as Ivan mentioned we still have the rest of the doctor and the other divers that would have to come out, but
this is just, oohh, what a great feel-good story.
BERMAN: I have to say we keep using the words remarkable and miraculous. They are completely apt this morning. It's OK to use them again and again
and again, because this is a miracle, Sanjay. Let's not forget that these children were trapped underground for nine days before they were even
spotted.
SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Right.
BERMAN: Without any food. It's amazing that they've come this far.
GUPTA: I mean, so June 23rd is when they first went missing and then July 2nd was when they were discovered alive. So you can imagine what life was
like during that time, very few supplies, drinking water that they could find sort of within the cave that may have been contaminated, unsure if
they were going to be found.
And then six days after that is when the rescue started, so yes, psychologically, physically, all of that has taken a toll. One thing, when
you look at the timeline, we look at it and the doctors, the people who were going to be caring for these boys look at it as well to try and
predict what kind of shape these boys, this coach is going to be in when they come out.
How malnourished, how dehydrated, body temperature, risk of infections. They're trying to sort of piece these together themselves so they can be
predictive and that's a lot of what's happening now. But it's incredible.
CAMEROTA: Sanjay, could adults have survived this for 18 days? I mean, is it in part that they were teenagers and adolescents that they -- were they
healthier or somehow more able to survive?
GUPTA: I think that physically, youth does offer up more resilience. There's no question about it. But they're also soccer players, so they're
healthier young people as well. So I think perhaps you have -- the coach who is 25 years old, I believe. We'll see what kind of shape he's in when
he comes out. Tough, touch, not matter what. Just because of the basics, the cold, the lack of water, the lack of food, but also just no light, the
circadian rhythms get thrown off quickly.
You imagine putting just a human being in that situation even for a few hours, not days.
CAMEROTA: Oh, then the claustrophobia, they psychology, the not knowing if you're going to get out, the desperation.
GUPTA: All of that.
CAMEROTA: All of that stuff.
GUPTA: Yes. If you talk to the folks from the Chilean mining disaster, eight years later now, they still say they have the components of post
traumatic stress and anxiety as a result of that.
BERMAN: Look, these kids have a long road ahead of them, but that they have any road at all.
GUPTA: Yes.
BERMAN: Again, is a miracle this morning.
[08:10:00]
Ivan, let's go back to you on the scene. I understand you're hearing something at least from the Thai SEALs who've been part of this rescue.
WATSON: Yes. They've been posting on their Facebook page in Thai. And some of these messages are pretty important, quote, "All 12 Wild Boars and
the coach have left the cave, all safe, now waiting to receive four divers to come out, hoyah."
BERMAN: Hoyah.
WATSON: That's one of the statements. And another one from -- translated here, quoting, "Waiting for four more Thai Navy SEALs to come out of the
cave who have been accompanying the kids, please send your support to them."
That's our translation of these posts in Thai, just reminding us all that there have been professionals, brave people who have stayed in that cave
for more than a week with the Wild Boar Youth Soccer Team, helping keep their morale up and trying to keep their physical condition up throughout
this remarkable ordeal and borderline miraculous rescue effort.
That's the latest post from the Thai Royal Navy SEALs, John and Alisyn.
CAMEROTA: Hoyah is a universal language that I think we all understand.
BERMAN: Yes.
CAMEROTA: And so, Paul, I mean how many times during the past 18 days did you think that this was going to have a horrible outcome?
SUMNER: I push that aside. I try to keep a positive attitude myself and with all the coverage of this just -- and also understanding some of the
cave divers, particularly the ones that found the boys to begin with, that was a big plus.
I think that really went itself to -- we got a good opportunity there's a good positive outcome. If these guys can get in there and the crews, the
navy divers can get in there, yes, there were some tense moments, the not knowing.
But I think this is -- I'm still. I do need to comment -- I do need to comment that they did -- that they were fortunate they had some very
sumptuous meals ready to eat provided to them, so I'm sure the boys don't need to eat much right away.
BERMAN: Paul, you've been watching this video. You've been following the story the last several days. How did they do it? Ultimately, what was the
key that made this possible at the end because we had been told it was going to be so difficult right up until Sunday morning when we saw those
first boys emerge?
SUMNER: As one of your guests, Tim, the cave diver had mentioned earlier, once that rope was in place, that's a big plus. That provides any diver
the ability to -- that's the guideline. We have that roadmap to find our way in and way out. We're not hunting and guessing. Again, the difficulty
was with not knowing how each of those teams and the coach would react. Previous news story said that the coach practices meditation.
I have to believe that his work with those boys maybe helped them calm themselves down, keep a calm meditative state as they progressed out of
there. So, once that goal line was in, they knew they could make that traverse the one time.
And as a tribute to the Navy SEALs diver that lost his life, I think that just upped the stakes that they go, we need to make this happen. This has
got to be in his memory.
CAMEROTA: Yes.
BERMAN: Yes.
CAMEROTA: It sounds like it.
Sanjay, are they, medically speaking, are they out of the woods? I mean, if they have cave disease or if they have a long infection that you're
confident that that will be able to be tackled and that this will be as positive an outcome as it seems?
GUPTA: I'm pretty confident. I mean I think that there's obviously always a bit of unknown here. You don't know exactly what you're dealing with
here. There are certain types of infections that are more common in these situations. It's from the bird and the bat droppings of being surrounded in
that environment. It's a cave disease. People who are spelunkers who go into caves. Those are the ones who are risk of these.
Again, they are young. The teams have been preparing for this, are obviously isolating them. They're going to treat it aggressively. So, I'm
pretty confident this is going to turn out pretty well.
CAMEROTA: That's so good.
All right. Ivan, Paul Sumner, you've said it best. I think we all have a lump in our throat. And it is just so wonderful to all be able to
celebrate the fact that those kids are back on terra firma and appear to be getting the medical treatment they need.
Sanjay, thank you very much.
GUPTA: Got it.
BERMAN: All right. It is such a busy.
ROBYN CURNOW, CNN ANCHOR AND HOST OF INTERNATIONAL DESK: Indeed. Wonderful news isn't. I'm Robyn Curnow here in Atlanta. We will continue
to celebrate this good news.
All 12 of those boys and their coach are out of the cave. We're waiting for the final Navy divers to make it out safely as well. And then everyone
will be treated at hospital and no doubt, a lot of very proud and anxious parents will get a big hug in the next few days.
So stay with us. We're going to talk more about this after the break.
[08:15:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CURNOW: All of those 12 boys and their football coach have now emerged from that flooded cave in Thailand. They are all safe. They've been
rescued. Of course, they've been trapped there for nearly three weeks.
Ivan Watson is on the scene. You've been watching all of this take place. I mean, what a huge relief, Ivan.
WATSON: Fantastic.
CURNOW: It is.
WATSON: We're not out of the woods yet so to speak. The Thai Royal Navy has said yes, all of the Wild Boars are out, that youth football team here
from this rural corner of Thailand near the border with Myanmar.
All 12 of the soccer players aged 11 to 16, they're out. Their 25-year-old coach is out. We don't know the status healthwise of these five that got
out today. But we're still waiting on news of the Thai doctor and the three Navy SEALs who have been underground with the trapped Wild Boars for
more than a week, taking care of them, helping them.
The Thai Royal Navy SEALs have been posting messages on their Facebook saying -- page saying, "Send your support to those remaining four to make
sure that they get out safely." They've also had some remarkable other messages that I want to read to you on the air now, one of them posted in
English moments ago that says, quote, "We're not sure if this is a miracle, a science or what. All 13 Wild Boars are now out of the cave" and just
reading another one, quote, "Waiting for four more Thai Navy SEALs who've been accompanying the kids, please send your support to them."
So, yes, this has been a dangerous and difficult operation. The rescues have -- this is the third day of them. But the authorities were very
optimistic going into this, Robyn, more than eight hours ago, predicting that they would pull all of the kids, their coach and the support Navy SEAL
team, that they would pull them out today.
This is a dangerous journey that they have to make. Narrow tunnels, flooded with water, razor sharp rocks divers have told us. The boys have
to be dressed in wetsuits to try to keep from suffering from hypothermia because they spend hours in the water on that journey.
They're equipped with full face masks to ensure that they get air. We've heard that extra tanks of air have to be provided to them along the way,
because they use up their air during the hours that they spend underwater.
But the fantastic news that we can report is the 12 boys who were trapped with their coach on June 23rd, they're all out, most of them now being
rushed to hospital. We'll get you details as we learn more.
[08:20:00]
And we're now awaiting word on the Navy SEALs, the doctor, the support staff to make sure that they come out safely. And we'll report that to you
just as soon as we can get it.
Robyn?
CURNOW: And so, do we know -- are they also on their way out now? Are they likely to overnight in the cave as well? Do we have any sense of
timing when we can expect them out?
WATSON: No, no. Except that at the beginning of this marathon day of rescue operations, the chief of the rescue operation, he said that he
expected everybody to be out before the operation would be concluded.
So, his prediction so far, almost all correct thus far. We still need to hear about the health conditions of the four kids, their coach, what their
status is. We still need to hear about the four support staff. And we need to frankly hear about the rescuers themselves, because this tragically
has been a deadly process where there was a loss of a former Thai Royal Navy SEAL who died in the chambers last week.
So, we do have to be careful and make sure that everybody gets out safely before the celebrations can go into full steam. We have to hear about the
health of the five people who had been underground for more than two weeks, make sure that they're OK.
Fortunately, we can report according to the Thai medical authorities that the first eight boys who got out on Sunday and Monday that they were in
pretty good medical condition. Some of them had, their body temperatures had fallen during the rescue effort. They were all suffering from
malnutrition. Some of them, the X-ray showed that they had kind of swollen lungs, infections in the lungs. But that they anticipated that with
quarantine and steady and close medical care that they would be able to come through this healthy and whole in the end but just an incredible
operation, a multinational operation with some 90 people working on this.
Divers from Thailand and from around the world who have quite literally risked their necks in trying to ensure that these boys could get out to
safety after enduring an ordeal that lasted more than two weeks underground, beneath the mountain behind me as the sun now sets here of
this corner of northern Thailand.
Robyn?
CURNOW: Ivan Watson, thanks so much. Joyous news to report. Thanks so much. We'll take in with you a little bit later as well.
But for a moment, I also want to talk to Toby Hamnett. He's an officer at the British Cave Rescue Council. He joins us now via Skype. I know all
the divers who have been following this around the world must have thought at one point, this is impossible, this is not going to be a pretty good
outcome. But look what we have today. It's amazing. It's wonderful. They were found and they were rescued. What are your thoughts?
TOBY HAMNETT, OFFICER FROM THE BRITISH CAVE RESCUE COUNCIL: Well, we've been watching the media reports as they come in and looking forward to the
official Thai confirmation.
But all is this is great news. Clearly, the divers have done a fantastic job. And again.
CURNOW: We have that confirmation from the Thais. So, they have confirmed all of the boys and their coach are out. We're just waiting for those last
four Navy SEALs to come out.
HAMNETT: And your colleague made a very good point, is that we still have people in the cave.
CURNOW: Yes.
HAMNETT: It is still a dangerous -- environment. We saw it last week. But if they come out safely it's clearly a successful concern.
CURNOW: And let's just move back, I mean nine days in that cave at one point most of the world has given up hope and said, "Listen, there's no way
they're going to be found, nine days in a cave. How would you survive and if that, how would you find them?"
But it was two British divers who found them. And that video in itself was extraordinary. Let's just start from there and your thoughts on that.
HAMNETT: No, that was clearly the turning point in the rescue where it turned from a possible tragedy into hope and then it started to be built.
The plan is not a simple plan. The dive plan to get these boys out over the course of three days has been very complex and very technical but as I
say, from the moment that film, came to the surface, people started to hope and that was great news.
CURNOW: And what do you know about the divers? You worked with a lot of them. And I think you've met, particularly those British divers who made
that first connection with the boys. What is the word within your community?
HAMNETT: The caving community in the U.K. is a fairly small body of men and women. And we do know each other, and we are friends with the people
who are out there. The rescue community is a smaller set yet, so we know personally the people out there and we're very pleased with the work
they've done.
[08:25:00]
We've been following it very closely across the whole of the caving community and yes, the support has been outstanding. We've been
particularly impressed with because these are just volunteers. These are people who have left their normal jobs and their work and just come to
help.
And the public support -- the support of their employers to take time away has been amazing. So we're very grateful for all of that support from the
public and the employers to allow these specialists to carry out their skills in this environment.
CURNOW: And this was really an international volunteer effort as well. We know that divers from China, from Australia, from the U.S. also helped in
addition to, of course, this extraordinary work by the Thai Navy SEALs. Just the coordination of a mission like this must have been extraordinary.
HAMNETT: Absolutely. The Thai authorities have dealt with it very clearly. You've seen the chief of the joint operations briefing every
evening. He's been very clear on what he intends to get out from the team, how he commands them. And it has worked well.
What the Thais have not been able to bring in terms of specialization, they've taken the advice and worked very closely with the specialist
volunteer divers who have come forward.
CURNOW: You've been involved in a number of rescues yourself. What is it like afterwards for people who have been rescued, who have been stuck in a
dark cave, watery cave for a long time? When you look at them and when you speak to them after the rescue, what strikes you and what is expected from
these boys?
HAMNETT: Relief I think is the simple answer. It's a chance to look again at what's happened and look forward to just getting on with your lives.
When you're in a situation where it looks like hope starts to diminish and then you are rescued, you're brought back to literally into the daylight,
it is a remarkable feeling of relief, a lot lifts in your heart. And obviously, singular gratitude from the individuals but clearly they're just
very pleased to be on the surface.
CURNOW: How do people keep their spirits up when they're stuck underground? Is it faith? Is it hope? Is it meditation as we've heard
perhaps these boys and their coach did? Is it just a will to live? What do people say to you?
HAMNETT: All of the above. All of the above. We've known people who have (inaudible), just told each other stories for days on end and the people
who have had the capacity to go to -- made games to play with, cut up paper into decks of cards we've heard and sit there and play cards within the
cave if possible.
These boys didn't have any of that access. They just had themselves and their faith and their ability and their strength in themselves to just keep
looking towards the future and to eventually getting rescued. A very much a strong person's position.
CURNOW: Yes. And hopeful yes, I mean that's the psychology in many ways, but also underground it's a petri dish of infections, fungal infections in
particular, unique to that kind of environment. What do we know about that?
HAMNETT: Well, you've already spoken to the medical expert. I mean, every day is a learning day within this environment. I must admit for the first
time in 20 years, I've heard of cave disease. But there are different types of diseases, viral disease in the U.K.
There's histoplasmosis, which comes from the environment out there and the medics are specialists in being able to do with these matters. I'm sure
that the boys are receiving the best treatment in Thailand.
CURNOW: It's wonderful news. Toby Hamnett, thank you so much for joining us, an officer at the British Rescue Council, great to have your
perspective, and please pass on our thanks and gratitude to all of the cavers and the divers who helped with this. Cheers.
HAMNETT: I will do. Thank you.
CURNOW: So I'm Robyn Curnow, you are watching CNN. It is great news. We are going to have live coverage from northern Thailand. Matt Rivers is
outside the hospital. I think we're waiting to see the last few ambulances whiz in to that hospital to join all the other boys, all of them are safe.
We've also got Dr. Sanjay Gupta to talk to us. So stay with us. You're watching CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:30:00]
CURNOW: I am Robyn Curnow, you're watching News Stream, thanks so much for joining us, and there certainly is significant and happy breaking news this
hour, that dramatic mission, successful mission to rescue 12 boys and their football coach has ended, it is over, they are all safe. We know that the
divers who evacuated them still are in that cave, four of those divers are still to leave, but we know that the last four boys just emerged a short
time ago, also emerging, the 25-year-old coach, he was the last one of that team to come from that cave.
Now the rescued boys are under observation, either in a field hospital just outside the cave entrance, or at a local hospital in the region. We know
that those who have been out for the last day or so have been able to see their families, but only through a glass window, no hugs yet, we also are
still waiting word on as I said the doctor and three Thai Navy SEALs who are still in that cave. So, we're hoping that they will emerge safely in
the next few hours as well. Watching all of this is Matt Rivers, he's outside the hospital where the boys are being treated. Matt, how many of
these boys have made it to that hospital way you are?
RIVERS: Within the last hour or maybe 90 minutes or so at this point, Robyn, we have seen boys nine, ten, and eleven zoom past here behind us in
ambulances, and like you said, no word on the conditions yet, of boys nine, ten, eleven, twelve, and the coach quite yet. So we are still waiting,
that's why we're not saying it's a full-fledged celebration yet, because we have to make sure that they are OK. But still they are out of the cave, and
they are on their way here.
So, basically what's happened, each time somebody is brought out, they're put into a field hospital right next to the cave, they are prepped for
transport. Then what happens is they get in an ambulance, they're driven to the helipad, the helicopter takes off, flies to an airport just south of
where we are, and then they travel that last little bit in an ambulance which is how they end up in the emergency room right there behind me.
Once they're here, immediately they go up to the eighth floor, that's where a specialized, sterilized isolation unit has been put into place. And when
you talk about the parents coming to visit, that's where they're going, they're going to have to stay behind the class, because there's a concern
amongst doctors here that these boys have weakened immune systems, that the coach will have a weakened immune system, and that they could be more
susceptible to infection and to illness. And they want to make sure that this recovery goes as smoothly and as swiftly as possible.
So, you're looking at probably seven days in isolation according to officials before they're willing to kind of relax those restrictions. And
then they could be in the hospital for longer than that, we're getting word though, the eight boys in there already, the first eight are in pretty good
health, they had some issues when they were first brought in, things like lung problems, lower body temperatures.
However, they've been treated, they've responded well to treatment, and so the hope here is that when the rest of these boys and the coach come in,
they're going to be in as good a shape as the first eight boys were rescued. Robyn.
CURNOW: And have you seen any of the parents around you? Has anybody managed to speak to any of the parents?
RIVERS: Not yet, although I can tell you that CNN has two reporting teams out right now in the village where these boys are from, they all live
relatively close to one another, and we -- I know for a fact that we are talking to relatives right now. I do believe that the parents, the actual
parents of the boys are all together, and they will likely be making their way here to the hospital.
[08:35:00]
Generally speaking, and you could argue, I mean, well, we can argue, it is rightly so, they're being given privacy by Thai authorities.
And so parents are being kind of shepherded from one place to another, really closely guarded by Thai officials. And so we expect them to
probably be brought into a back entrance there in the hospital as soon as they can.
But what this place will represent over the coming days, Robyn, not only a place where treatment will be done, and hopefully the recoveries
begin, but it will also be a place of reunions, right? Like remarkable, remarkable reunions that were -- that were not guaranteed just a couple
days ago.
CURNOW: No, certainly. And I think that is what is so amazing about this, I think it's 18 days they've been in that cave, it was nine days before
they were even found, that in itself was remarkable. And, you know, we saw those pictures, they were scrawny, they were malnourished, but still in
extremely good health considering. These boys are tough, aren't they?
RIVERS: I don't think there's any question about it, I mean, look at the letters that they wrote to their parents, Robyn, and as of just a couple
days ago when they were all still down there, they were telling their parents not to worry, these are kids, and they're saying, "Oh, Mom and Dad,
don't worry. I'm strong, can I have fried chicken when come out?"
I mean, that's probably a little bit of youthful naivete, but it's also, you know, strength where these boys I think had a sense that they were
going to come out. And I also think that we should -- we should give credit here to the coach. We don't know why the boys went all the way in
there, and maybe these questions can be answered later. But I don't think that this situation could have been possible, I think, without the coach.
I mean, we know that he gave his food to the boys in the beginning to make sure they were safe, other reports that he led them in meditation, he was
the only real adult in the room. And so, you know, we're going to learn more about what it was like in that cave, but the fact that the coach and
the boys were able to bond together and get through this experience, it just -- I don't know that there's a lot of words to describe it, I mean,
it's.
CURNOW: No, it's difficult, it is -- because it is just such a wonderful sense of utter positivity, isn't it? I mean, there's so much bad
news at the moment in the world, and I think to be able to see this come to fruition like this, for all of us, because the whole world feels like
they're invested in this. It is just a wonderful, wonderful moment. And when we talk about faith, how much do you think the boys' Buddhist faith
has played into that? You talked about meditation, how key do you think that was?
RIVERS: I mean, I think it was probably quite big, I mean, you saw the parents actually going outside the cave right in the beginning, and saying
prayers, and praying for their boys, and I think that that probably had something to do with it. And then, you know, I -- we're going to find out
a lot more about what was going on in that cave, and what got them through it, and what they were thinking about, but you have to imagine that in that
situation, you have to draw on your own personal experiences, and your own personal strength, and your own inner strength, and I think that probably
comes from different places for different people.
And what each boy drew on, whether it was his own strength, whether it was relying on the camaraderie of each other, whether it was all of the above,
whatever it was, it worked. And one quick note, Robyn, journalists are cynical people, I think generally speaking.
CURNOW: I think you might be right about that.
RIVERS: And when -- and when this first came out, when the news first came out, you know, there was a ton of smiles here where all the media are in
addition to all the locals that are around here. And I don't think I've ever seen that many journalists smile at the same time, it was kind of
weird in a way.
CURNOW: Particularly when there's free food around, that's when you'll see a lot of journalists smiling, but I do agree with you. In terms of the
basic facts of all of this, many thought that this wouldn't be the outcome. So, we celebrate that, but we also wait for the news about these other four
that are still in there, the doctor and the three Navy SEAL divers. So, let's hopefully come back to you when we get that news.
Matt, stay with us. We will come back to you. Stand by, but I do want to speak to Sanjay Gupta, he is in New York, also watching all of this. Isn't
this just a wonderful testament to human spirit and endurance and just will to live?
GUPTA: Someone said it was sort of the land version of the Apollo XIII mission, right? You brought in these experts, they laid out a plan, it was
a plan that, you know, had no certainty at the beginning, they carried it out, executed it flawlessly, it seems. And keep in mind, the timetable
here, Robyn, as you were just alluding to earlier, June 23rd is when these boys went missing, it wasn't until July 2nd that they were found, and then
July 3rd before they started bringing in some supplies, and now we're at July 10th, a week after that. So it's been a long unpredictable journey
for everybody involved.
CURNOW: It has, and I think also that sense of imagine -- and I think a lot of people have put themselves in this position, imagine if that was my
child, imagine that was me trapped in that cave. I think that's why this haa perhaps echoed so much around the world, but when we talk about those
little boys being extracted now, for you as a doctor, what would you be focused on?
[08:40:00]
GUPTA: Well, you know, I think at the time that the boys are rescued, and are still there at the -- at the entrance to the cave, there's some sort of
immediate triage that's done, trying to figure out just exactly what kind of shape the boy is in, how quickly he needs to get to a hospital, by
helicopter or by ambulance, and then, also give the hospital some indication of what they need to be doing when they get there. Hypothermia,
dehydration, malnutrition.
And when you start to address these types of things, Robyn, it isn't, you know, just suddenly give a lot of food, suddenly give lots of fluids, you
have to do these things slowly, so as to not overwhelm the body. The body gets used to a certain phase, in this case, it may be a less, it may be
more of a starvation phase, more of a dehydration phase. So you have to do these things slowly.
Also as you've heard and you mentioned, I think, Robyn, that they're going to be in isolation for some time. Part of that is probably because when
you're in a cave like this, when you're in a situation where you're not exposed to natural light, your body starts to change, certain things get
ramped up, certain things get ramped down, your immune system can get ramped down. So, what would otherwise be a harmless or innocuous infection
can suddenly become more serious.
So that's part of the isolation, you also got to wonder, did the boys become infected themselves while in the cave? I mean, you're drinking
water from the cave's surfaces, there's bats and birds that sometimes can contaminate that water supply. There can be these fungus within the air
that you can breathe in.
So there's all these things they have to take into consideration, they've been planning, they've known this for some time, they've looked at the
timeline, they've looked at the conditions, the medical professionals that is, and they've been planning for exactly what's transpiring now.
CURNOW: When we were talking before the rescue started, many people felt that the one real danger in taking them out was the potential of a panic
attack or anxiety in the extraction process. And I think that has been a lot of the worry as this has taken place. But what clearly has happened
also, if we think about it, is that these boys and their rescuers have also been extracted in ways that many people thought was impossible, that they
had the mental capacity and the endurance to get out.
GUPTA: I'm really -- it's -- it is truly remarkable, I mean, I don't know if you've ever done any diving, I have done some scuba diving even a little
bit of cave diving, obviously nothing like this. And even for experienced divers, there is a sense of panic when you can't see the -- when you're not
certain where the surface of the water is because it's too dark, you know, all these types of things. Changing conditions, strong currents, sharp
edges, and some of these boys my understanding was hadn't even swam before, let alone do something like scuba diving.
A panic, you know, when you -- when you look back at like the Chilean mining disaster, Robyn, you know, even eight years later, some of those
miners still have panic, and posttraumatic stress from what they went through. But to your point, this was a rescue like no other. If they had
a panic attack during the -- during the rescue process itself, tried to take off their mask or something, not only would they have put their own
lives at risk, but also the lives of the rescue divers. So everything had to go well, and there probably was a lot of that psychological preparation
before the several hour journey out of the cave.
CURNOW: Yes. Sanjay Gupta, great to speak to you. Thanks for giving us all if your expertise. See you, Sanjay.
GUPTA: Thank you.
CURNOW: Matt Rivers is still he's standing by at the hospital where the boys are being treated and are going to be taken to the last remaining
boys. And, Matt, I don't know, can you hear me? One thing I know that I don't think we have the details on, and I know that you were outside that
cave for a number of days before you moved to the hospital.
Do we have any sense of how this rescue actually took place? Beyond Elon Musk suggesting submarines, how were they escorted out? Was there a Thai
Navy SEAL in front of them and one behind them? Were they carried? I mean, just give us some sense of what we know about this extraction
process.
RIVERS: Yes. So, all throughout that cave, you know, there's a lot of ups and downs, certain sections were completely submerged, other sections,
there was some space between the roof of the cave and the top of the water level, so you could kind of float through. And other sections, you
actually had to climb, you know, along the rocks, so you had to walk a little bit. So, it was all of the above, and the point of getting the
water levels as low as possible was to ensure that as little of the journey as possible was done completely submerged.
Because that's when it got dangerous, I mean, the whole thing was dangerous, but when you're talking about kids who have no idea how to dive,
and no diving experience, there was no -- hardly any visibility. So you could see two inches in front of your face, and that would set in panic, it
would set in feelings of claustrophobia, and you could be underwater for 10, 20, 30 minutes at a time. So, that's why they did that.
In terms of how they got them out, they -- the child and the coach were put in between two divers, so you had a diver in the front and a diver in the
back, and the kid was in the middle.
[08:45:00]
And so that was kind of guiding them out. And the first diver that went in, in search of the kids, and then subsequently after that it was
reinforced, put in a guideline. So, basically they were following a line, all through the cave, and kind of was a trail on their way out.
And all along that line, you had oxygen tanks set up along the way. So that way they could refill their oxygen tanks and use them or just pick up
a new oxygen thank on the way out, that's why this took three days, Robyn, because they needed to go back in and refill those oxygen supplies. So,
all of that taken together is how this happened, it was complicated, it was no guarantee of success. I think Sanjay put it really well by calling it
the land version of Apollo XIII.
This was experts coming together and figuring out, OK, how do we make the best of a bad situation? And that is how we understand all of this went
through, we're really looking forward to hopefully interviewing the divers, not only who discovered the boys in the first place, but then helped lead
that mission out, British divers who helped kind of concoct that plan, and get the boys out.
CURNOW: Yes, I mean, an extraordinary slow, meticulous, complicated, but very organized search and rescue mission, I mean, I think congratulations,
and a big thanks must be sent to all of those Thai authorities, all the volunteers, amazing, amazing job. Great news. Matt Rivers there on the
scene outside the hospital. Thanks so much. Of course, 12 boys and their coach are now safely out of that cave. We'll continue to cover the story
after the break. Stick with us.
[COMMERCIAL BREAK]
CURNOW: OK. Returning now to our top story. All of those 12 boys and their football coach have emerged from a flooded cave in Thailand, they are
safe, and because - of course being trapped there for nearly three weeks, they're all receiving medical attention right now. The operation is not
yet over yet.
We know that four people are still in that cave, a doctor and Navy SEALs, they are being evacuated hopefully as we speak. Ivan Watson is in the area
where the rescue has been taking place. Ivan, good to speak to you again, and I know that for all of you there on the ground, this is an extremely
emotional moment when you heard that they were all safe, for the journalists but also for a lot of the Thai people who have been working
around the clock to try to make this happen.
WATSON: Absolutely. And just as an example, this nice lady right over here who's got this kind of mobile motorcycle ice cream stand just told me
that she was so happy when she heard that the boys had all been rescued, that she started crying. So that's just one -- the view from one Thai
person here in northern Thailand, in Mae Sai, where the rescue operation has gripped the community, the country, and arguably, some of the world.
Now, I want all -- I want to also talk to another Thai friend of mine to get a sense of the perspective here, I'm joined now by my friend and
colleague, CNN's Bangkok producer, Kocha Olarn. Thank you very much, Kocha. Kocha's been here from the beginning of this entire drama. So, I
think you've got some unique perspective here, not only as a veteran journalist, Kocha, but also as a citizen of this kingdom, who's watched
this. First of all, how would you describe the reaction here in Thailand? This really has been a national phenomenon, right?
[08:50:00]
KOCHA OLARN, CNN BANGKOK PRODUCER: Yes, it is, indeed. It's just like, you know, everybody is like is living on these news for days and weeks,
right? Everyone is like, you know, when they get up, you know, they try to search for the news, what's happening? What is the progress? You know,
first -- the very first stage, we could not find the boys, right?
You know, everyone was so anxious if they're still alive, right? And after that, even harder that, you know, how they're going to get the boys out,
and, you know, it's captured all major news networks in Thailand, and all the headlines (INAUDIBLE) and social, you know, and -- but at the same
time, we can see all support from all over Thailand pouring in here, you know, food, you can see, you know, or, you know, volunteers, divers, cliff
climbers, yes, climbers, and even the sparrow nest pickers, you know, they joined the mission. Yes.
WATSON: Sparrow nest pickers?
OLARN: Yes, uh-huh. They're part of the climbers, trying to, you know, at certain point, they tried to find alternate routes to go to the boys,
right? So they offered themselves here.
WATSON: Oh, these are people that kind of work in the mountains, in the jungles here?
OLARN: That's right. That's right. Uh-huh.
WATSON: Searching the nest of birds?
OLARN: That's right.
WATSON: For helping to find alternate routes?
OLARN: Yes, here, the hope at the time, you know, to find, you know, alternate routes to those -- through chimneys, they've believed that, you
know, there are some chimneys above chamber where the boys are. But, you know, however it shows that all hearts and support just pouring into this
event.
WATSON: And also you've been -- you've seen the evolution of the rescue effort from its first days to what it is today, I'm very impressed by how
organized it seems now. How would you describe from the beginning to now?
OLARN: I would say, I, you know, the first few bit -- the first few days a bit chaotic, you know, but I have to admire, you know, and give a big
praise to the former governor that, you know, can get things together. And, you know, make it more systematic, you know, everybody knows their
parts and jobs, you know, the diggers, you know, the draining units, and the divers, you know, everything just so organized by the late -- former
governor.
But I have to admire that also, that, you know, the chain of command is so clear, no one kind of, you know, breaks the, you know, the lines of
command. So that's why this rescue operation is so efficient and, you know, it's well, you know, and all informed, every party, you know?
WATSON: Now, there have been a lot of setbacks along the way, the most tragic one, of course, the death of a former Thai Navy SEAL diver who
volunteered for the mission. Can you take us through some of these challenges that have come up throughout the process?
OLARN: Oh, yes, you know, that news kind of, you know, it's like struck, you know, the whole operation, not just the officials who joined the rescue
operation, but also the mood of the whole country, so, you know, it's just like everybody on a very down mood, you know, after we heard the news.
Even the journalists, you know, I could feel that everyone was like, you know, we prayed that, you know, there will be no casualties, but it will be
our first one. However, I have to say that we are very resilient people, I don't know how can, you know, especially the divers, you know, they kind
of, you know, they know each other. They kind of saw when the late Navy SEAL, he went into, you know, the chamber to the cave. But somehow they
kept on, you know, kept going, and then carry on the operations.
WATSON: In a word, how do you feel right now?
OLARN: I'm so happy.
WATSON: Kocha Olarn, my friend, my colleague, probably isn't happy that I just hugged her, but this is -- this is a happy and I think and a proud
moment. Back to you, Robyn.
CURNOW: Yes, I think absolute -- I think there are a lot of hugs going around in Thailand at the moment. Totally welcome. To you both , well
done, and we'll check back in with you in just a moment. Thanks so much guys.
I'm going to go now to Paul Summer. He is a rescue dive instructor. And he joins us from Fort Lauderdale in Florida. Hugs are definitely
welcome, don't you think?
SUMNER: Oh, absolutely, Robyn. I had a lump in my throat, I -- here it is again.
CURNOW: It's back?
SUMNER: This is absolutely remarkable, it is an absolutely remarkable, it's a -- of anything else, it's a thank you to that SEAL diver that risked
his life and lost his life that they chose to press on and make this rescue happen, and make it successfully happen.
CURNOW: And this is his picture, Saman Kunan, a brave man, a hero, he got on a plane, and went to try and help, and he sacrificed his life for those
boys. I mean, an extraordinary sense of -- as I said, sacrifice, but also hope, and volunteerism, and organization. As a -- as a -- as a cave diver,
as a diver, what are your thoughts about all of that?
[08:55:00]
SUMNER: Backing up to my fire rescue background, in any operation, a fire department operation, or even in a military operation, we go in knowing
that there's a risk in every job we do, every mission we embark on. And I am sure that he understood the risks, and yet his dedication to other
humans that he might have some part, play some part in a successful outcome.
He went in knowing those risks, and he took them, and sadly, for his sake, and for his family's sake, it is tragic. But I believe they quickly --
those making the decisions, there on the ground, probably did a very quick assessment of, can we figure out what went wrong, and what can we do to
make sure that there is a successful outcome, and let's press on. We can't stop because of this one tragic incident.
CURNOW: And so we have this wonderful news that they're all out, but listen also, let's bear a thought, the Navy SEALs have just tweeted asking
for support, there's still four others down there, a doctor and three Navy SEALs who were there waiting with those kids as they got out. And the Navy
SEALs have tweeted, "Not sure if this is a miracle, a science, or what, but please pray for us."
There they go, that's one of the comments coming from the Navy SEALs. So, let's not forget that there's still four people under there. But just
trying to get the little boys out, quickly, well, how -- that makes it even more difficult, doesn't it?
SUMNER: Yes, it does. I -- as Dr. Gupta had mentioned earlier, resiliency of the boys, I think could have played a important part I believe, and
it'll be interesting to learn more later, their coach who was said to practice meditation, and was apparently instructing these boys, I suspect
that may have played a role in the ability to get these teens to understand mindfulness, and controlling their emotions and their anxiety level as
these divers led them through this murky water.
CURNOW: A miracle, science, or what, either way, it is a happy outcome. Thank you so much, Paul Summer, for your perspective. Appreciate it.
PUAL SUMNER: You're more than welcome.
CURNOW: Thank you. I'm Robyn Curnow, that was News Stream. Much more news on this breaking story in just a few minutes. Stay with us. You're
watching CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:00:00]
POPPY HARLOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, I'm Poppy Harlow, and we do begin with breaking news. They are safe, all 12 boys and their soccer
coach rescued from a flooded cave in Thailand. It has been 18 days since they last saw sunlight. Guided by their rescuers, they braved strong
currents, tight squeezes, past razor sharp rocks for hours on end, and they swam through water so muddy they could not see past their own hands.
Four of those rescuers though are still inside the cave at this hour, let's go to Ivan Watson our senior international correspondent who has been there
covering throughout, and then we will take you to the hospital where these boys are. But, Ivan, I was watching as you broke the news just about an
hour ago that it happened, it's rare to get to cover something so miraculous.
WATSON: Yes, and any time that you get to prove your kind of pessimistic instincts wrong is a wonderful, wonderful moment. That this has been a
remarkable national effort here in the Kingdom of Thailand, a multinational effort with divers from around the world, rescue workers from around the
world, the U.S. military on the ground here, the Australians, and they have worked and successfully freed the 12 boys, their coach from deep within the
mountain here.
A depth of two and a half miles, they've gotten them out of here. I think there's a Facebook post in English from the Thai Navy SEALs who played such
a critical role here that sums it up very well. They wrote, "We are not sure if this is a miracle, science, or what, all 13 Wild Boars are now out
of..."
END
