The 12 boys and their football coach trapped in a Thailand cave will be hopeful of surviving, but must now mentally prepare themselves to be rescued, say men who survived two of the world’s most famous mine disasters.
Brant Webb, who was saved from a mine in the Australian town of Beaconsfield, Tasmania, in 2006, said he and his colleague Todd Russell had lied to each other about their prospects of survival during their 14-day ordeal.
“We didn’t think we were going to get out. We lied to each other, and it worked for each other, we told each other we were going to be reunited with our families,” Webb told New Zealand radio station Newstalk ZB.
Like Webb and Russell, the members of the Wild Boar football team, aged 11 to 16, had their hopes renewed after their dramatic discovery deep in the flooded Tham Luang cave on Monday.
But they now face a long wait, potentially months, as rescuers work to free them.
Webb, who had eaten only half a muesli bar for 10 days while trapped underground, said “hard yards” were now ahead for the Thai group. “They are doing well at the moment. They are dry, have water and hope,” he said. “They have loads of people to talk to, Todd and I had only ourselves. Fourteen days of no contact is a big ask.
“When we got out we couldn’t handle society, people, crowds – we do now – but 10 days, it will be a tough task for them.”
Also on Tuesday, one of the survivors of the 2010 Chilean mine disaster offered his own perspective on the challenges now facing the football team.
With suggestions the rescue effort at the flooded Tham Luang cave could take months, Omar Reygadas, who was trapped underground for 69 days, said it was crucial the boys worked together.
In particular, Reygadas said the boys’ coach would be need to keep them motivated. “It’s terrible for them, they’re little, but I believe that boys with a lot of strength are going to manage to be whole when they get out,” Reygadas told the Associated Press.
While he said it was difficult to offer advice, he suggested the boys should “think only about leaving and reuniting with their families”.
Reygadas, who was one of 33 miners trapped underground in the Atacama desert, near Copiapó, also said the young boys should feel free to show their emotions. “They shouldn’t be ashamed to be scared,” he said. “Because we were scared, too. Our tears also ran. Even as adult men, we cried.”
He added that faith and prayer, as well as humour, had helped he and his colleagues stay positive while they waited to be rescued.
The boys have been trapped inside the 9.5-kilometre cave since 23 June.
With Thailand now in the midst of its rainy season, rescuers have raised concerns imminent rainfall could complicate their task.
