The dramatic rescue of twelve boys and their soccer coach from the Tham Luang cave in Thailand caused a sensation in 2018. At that time, a diver died on the rescue mission. Now, about a year and a half later, a second rescuer has died.
The Thai Navy Seal Beiret Bureerak died of a blood infection that he contracted during the rescue operation in the Tham Luang cave, the Thai Navy said. The noncommissioned officer was under treatment, but his condition had steadily worsened, it said.
Already during the rescue operation in July 2018, the former marine diver Saman Kuman had died due to lack of oxygen in the cave.
- Read the chronicle of the dramatic rescue here
On June 23, 2018, a youth team from a regional football club was surprised by increasing amounts of water and cut off from the outside world after training on a trip to one of the back cave chambers during the monsoon. It was only after 17 days that the last of those trapped could be saved. The rescue caused a sensation at the time.
The location became a tourist attraction, and parts of the cave have been open to visitors since last November.
