Teenager who survived Thai cave rescue dies in UK after sustaining head injury
The teenager's mother has told the Wat Doi Wao temple in his home town in Chiang Rai that her son has died in Britain.
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Duangpetch Promthep, one of the 12 young footballers rescued from a Thai cave in 2018, has died in Britain. The teenager reportedly suffered a head injury, though the cause of his death remains unclear. He was the captain of the Thai boys' football team, which was trapped for two weeks along with their coach while exploring a cave in Chiang Rai Province in northern Thailand.
Duangpetch was 17 when he enrolled on a scholarship in the Brooke House College Football Academy in Leicester late last year.
His mother informed the Wat Doi Wao temple in Promthep's hometown of Chiang Rai, which the team frequently visited, of his death. A flurry of tributes have been posted on social media by his heartbroken teammates who were also rescued from the cave.
The temple sent Mr Promthep, commonly known as Dom, condolences via Facebook. The post included images of the football team with monks and read: "May Dom's soul rest in peace."
The Zico Foundation, a Thai charity that had assisted Promthep in obtaining a scholarship to study in England, also expressed condolences.
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Duangpetch was 13 when he and his teammates aged between 11 and 16 got trapped in the six-mile Tham Luang cave in the Doi Nang Non mountain range on 23 June, 2018.
Shortly after entering the cave after a practice session, heavy rainfall partially flooded the cave system, blocking their way out, and trapping them deep within.
Rescue divers discovered the team hiding on a ledge surrounded by water nine days later.
Their haven was around two miles from the main entrance through cramped, flooded tunnels. Authorities quickly started pumping water out in an effort to take advantage of a break in the monsoon rains.
The rescue operation was dependent on the boys using scuba equipment.
Each boy would be accompanied by two divers, with rescuers facing an 11-hour round trip.
READ MORE: Thai cave rescue: Breakthrough made as scientists map cave tunnels
Between July 8 and 10, all 12 boys and their coach were rescued from the cave by an international team.
Up to 10,000 people were involved in the rescue effort, including more than 100 divers, scores of rescue workers, representatives from approximately 100 government agencies, 900 police officers, and 2,000 soldiers.
Ten police helicopters, seven ambulances, over 700 diving cylinders, and the pumping of over one billion litres of water from the caves were all needed.
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All 12 boys and their team coach were rescued while sedated with the drug ketamine.
Tham Luang is known as Thailand's fourth biggest cave system and was one of the team's favourite haunts.
The incredible account of the rescue gained worldwide attention, and many books and films were later produced to recount it, including a six-episode miniseries that was broadcast on Netflix last year.
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