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Thai cave rescue operation saves boys, coach: What comes next

The last four young soccer players and their coach were pulled from a flooded cave in northern Thailand on Tuesday as attention turned to the physical and psychological health of the team known as the Wild Boars.

The exhilarating rescue was closely followed around the world. President Donald Trump was among those paying homage on social media, tweeting: "On behalf of the United States, congratulations to the Thai Navy SEALs and all on the successful rescue of the 12 boys and their coach from the treacherous cave in Thailand. Such a beautiful moment - all freed, great job!"

Earlier, Chiang Rai Gov. Narongsak Osatanakorn said the rescue mission would involve an international team of 19 divers. The effort was similar to operations Sunday and Monday, each of which resulted in the evacuation of four boys.

What comes next

The early returns on the overall health of the boys were positive. Still, they could remain in the hospital for several days. When they get out, classmates promised to help them catch up with their work and re-acclimate them to school. A member of the team who did not venture into the cave, Poowadet Khamngern, 14, has the first meal with his friends planned for when they return. “We’re going to eat fried chicken at KFC,” he said.

What they can actually eat

Jesada Chokdumrongsuk, deputy director-general of Thailand's Public Health Ministry, said the boys were provided nutritional gels by the first teams of divers to reach them last week. Some are being fed intravenously in the hospital, but some of the boys are asking for real meals. And some are allowed to eat them. "The boys are frequently hungry because their bodies need food," Jesada told the Bangkok Post. "This morning the first four boys asked for bread and chocolate spread."

What about their mental state?

Psychologist Jamie Aten, founder of the Humanitarian Disaster Institute at Wheaton College in Illinois, says the mental health of the boys must be monitored closely, and that recovering could be a lifelong process. “I think right now - especially considering how long these boys have been isolated and the physical and emotional trauma - they likely will continue to struggle emotionally for a period of time,” he said. The boys’ youth, Aten noted, could make them particularly prone to emotional damage, and their caregivers should be ready to spend as much time supporting them as possible. “They don’t have the same life experience, language or coping skills to draw on that an adult might have,” he said.

Their physical condition 

Jesada said the first eight to be rescued were in “high spirits." All the boys have been quarantined while they are checked for infections, and family members visiting the kids are kept behind glass. Some of the boys have a lung infections but all eight are generally “healthy and smiling,” Jesada said. "They are athletes, so their bodies resist illness well," he said. The boys wore blindfolds when they exited the cave because it had been more than two weeks since they saw sunlight. By late Tuesday, however, the boys freed Sunday had normal vision while those brought out Monday were wearing sunglasses.

How the team became trapped

The boys and their coach hiked more than two miles into the cave after soccer practice on June 23. Heavy rains struck the area, and parts of their path back to the cave entrance became swollen with floodwaters. A search led by Thai navy SEALs was fruitless until a pair of British divers came upon the hungry but apparently healthy team.

A lengthy but successful rescue

Four boys were rescued Sunday before the effort was put on hold so the cave could be restocked with oxygen tanks and other essentials. The operation cranked up again Monday morning local time, which was Sunday night in the U.S., and four more boys were brought out. The rest were freed Tuesday. Thai navy SEALs led the effort, but more than 90 rescue workers from around the world have been laboring in and around the dark, twisting cave. Massive pumps are being used to lower water levels to shorten the underwater distances.

Were the boys drugged for the journey out?

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha told the Bangkok Post that rumors the boys had been drugged for the journey was untrue. "Who the hell would give that to a kid?" He then acknowledged, however, that the boys were given "something to make them not too nervous and panic."

Contributing: Thomas Maresca and Caroline Simon, USA TODAYThe Associated Press