Thai coach will be among the last group to leave the cave

Bangkok PostThere will be four teams, with the first group consisting of four people, followed by groups two, three and four, the source said. The coach will be in the final group to be escorted by divers from the Tham Luang cave complex. A military official in charge of the operation had previously said the effort could take two to four days to complete, depending on weather conditions and water levels.

The Thai government also released a graphic showing how the rescue operation would be carried out. Two divers would accompany each boy, wearing full breathing masks and guided by ropes. In narrow passages, the divers would drop the tank from their backs and slowly roll it, guiding the boys through. From section three of the cave system, they would walk to the entrance.

This morning, the Thai government sent 18 of its most elite divers into Tham Luang cave, including 13 foreigners and 5 Thai SEALs, to begin the process of rescuing them one by one. The rescue operation began at 10am and the first person was released from the cave at 9pm at the earliest.

The boys, aged under 16, and their 25-year-old coach have been trapped in the Tham Luang cave for 15 days, after entering the cave on June 23 and becoming trapped by rising water levels. They were found by British divers on the evening of July 2 after a nine-day search involving teams from around the world.

Since July 7, water levels have dropped significantly and officials say they are at "maximum readiness".The boys are in good spirits and “ready to go”. Their families have been informed of the plan and are in agreement. An Australian doctor has assessed the boys’ health and given the go-ahead for the journey.