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Agence France-Presse

A Thai Navy Seal who aided with the rescue of a young football team trapped in a flooded cave in northern Thailand last year has died from an infection he contracted during the dramatic recovery mission, authorities said.
Wild Boars Academy’s coach Ekapol Chanthawong and 12 boys had gone to explore the Tham Luang caves in Chiang Rai province on June 23, 2018, when a rainy-season downpour flooded the cave system and trapped them underground.
Petty Officer Beirut Pakbara fell ill with a blood infection while working to retrieve the 12 boys and their coach, the Thai Navy said in a statement posted on Facebook late on Friday.
After the 18-day ordeal came to an end last June – with the entire team emerging safely from Tham Luang cave in northern Thailand – Beirut was under close supervision by doctors during his year-long illness.

 
“But his condition worsened and he died from the blood infection,” said the Navy, expressing “profound sadness” to his family.
An official in Beirut’s home province of Satun said the Navy Seal was immediately buried on Friday after he died following Muslim funeral rituals.
Another rescuer, former Thai Navy Seal diver Saman Gunan, also died during the rescue mission when he ran out of oxygen while attempting to establish an air line to the children and their coach. A statue of the hero diver erected near the cave’s entrance has attracted more than 1.3 million tourists since the 12 youngsters and the coach were extracted from their watery jail.
How Thai cave rescue of Wild Boars created new tourism destination
The rescue mission – which included foreign expert divers and the Thai Navy – drew extraordinary global interest to the mountainous district of Mae Sai.
The Wild Boars team became global celebrities and have since toured the world, meeting footballing giants at Manchester United and LA Galaxy, and headlining Ellen Degeneres’ talk show in the United States.
The rescue has also attracted filmmakers eager to capture the dramatic operation on-screen – with Netflix nabbing exclusive rights to tell the boys’ story.
Another film, The Cave by Irish-Thai filmmaker Tom Waller, made it to silver screens in Thailand last month, though it focused more on the rescue efforts and even starred one of the foreign divers playing himself.


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Thailand

Thai navy Seal who took part in cave rescue dies from blood infection contracted during mission

Royal Thai Navy footage shows rescue personnel carrying a member of the Wild Boars soccer team on a stretcher during the rescue operation inside the Tham Luang cave last year. Photo: Thai Royal Navy via AFP

Thai cave rescue: boys of Wild Boars football team deal with fame one year after dramatic incident

Members of the Thai Wild Boars football team. Photo: EPA-EFE

(FILES) In this file handout video grab from footage from the Royal Thai Navy taken on July 3, 2018 and released on July 4, 2018, Adul Sam-on (R), a member of the "Wild Boars" football team trapped with 11 other players and their coach in the Tham Luang cave, gestures as he sits inside the cave after being found by rescue divers in Khun Nam Nang Non Forest Park in Mae Sai district, Chiang Rai province. - When they entered the cave most of the "Wild Boars" were poor, some were stateless and all were unknown. They emerged 18 days later from its flooded chambers at the centre of a global media storm - courted by producers, authors and talk show hosts eager to retell their remarkable survival tale. (Photo by Handout / ROYAL THAI NAVY / AFP) / -----EDITORS NOTE --- RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / ROYAL THAI NAVY" - NO MARKETING - NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS TO GO WITH Thailand-accident-cave-rescue, FOCUS by Sippachai KUNNUWONG a

This picture taken on June 14, 2019 shows Ekkapol Chantawong, better known as “Coach Ek” of the “Wild Boars” football team, playing with members of his football academy in the Mae Sai district of Chiang Rai province. - When they entered the cave most of the "Wild Boars" were poor, some were stateless and all were unknown. They emerged 18 days later from its flooded chambers at the centre of a global media storm - courted by producers, authors and talk show hosts eager to retell their remarkable survival tale. (Photo by Lillian SUWANRUMPHA / AFP) / TO GO WITH Thailand-accident-cave-rescue, FOCUS by Sippachai KUNNUWONG and Sophie DEVILLER

This picture taken on June 14, 2019 shows "Wild Boars" footballer Adul Sam-on (C), who was trapped with his teammates and coach in the Tham Luang cave last year, helping his classmates with homework in the Mae Sai district of Chiang Rai province. - When they entered the cave most of the "Wild Boars" were poor, some were stateless and all were unknown. They emerged 18 days later from its flooded chambers at the centre of a global media storm - courted by producers, authors and talk show hosts eager to retell their remarkable survival tale. (Photo by Lillian SUWANRUMPHA / AFP) / TO GO WITH Thailand-accident-cave-rescue, FOCUS by Sippachai KUNNUWONG and Sophie DEVILLER

(FILES) In this file handout video grab taken from footage released by the Royal Thai Navy on July 11, 2018, rescue personnel carry a member of the "Wild Boars" football team on a stretcher during the rescue operation inside the Tham Luang cave in the Khun Nam Nang Non Forest Park in Mae Sai district. - When they entered the cave most of the "Wild Boars" were poor, some were stateless and all were unknown. They emerged 18 days later from its flooded chambers at the centre of a global media storm - courted by producers, authors and talk show hosts eager to retell their remarkable survival tale. (Photo by Handout / ROYAL THAI NAVY / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / ROYAL THAI NAVY " - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS TO GO WITH Thailand-accident-cave-rescue, FOCUS by Sippachai KUNNUWONG and Sophie DEVILLER

Elon Musk hired a private detective to investigate man he called ‘pedo guy’ in Thai cave rescue operation

Elon Musk recently settled a US Securities and Exchange Commission lawsuit over his Twitter use. Photo: AFP

This frame grab from video tweeted by Elon Musk shows a "tiny kid-sized submarine" being tested in a pool at Palisades Charter High School, Sunday, July 8, 2018, in Pacific Palisades, Calif. Musk's Space X rocket company tested the submarine that could potentially help rescue the remaining children and their coach trapped in a flooded cave in Thailand. (Courtesy of Elon Musk via AP)

epa06893143 (FILE) - British cave diver Vern Unsworth (C) walks next to a Thai soldier and policemen during the ongoing rescue operations for the youth soccer team and their coach, at the Tham Luang cave in Khun Nam Nang Non Forest Park, Chiang Rai province, Thailand, 30 June 2018 (reissued 16 July 2018). Unsworth, a British cave diver who took part in the operation to rescue the 12 Thai boys and their coach who were trapped inside a cave, is reportedly considering a legal action against business magnate Elon Musk, an entrepreneur founder CEO of SpaceX. According to media reports on 16 July 2018, Unsworth is reacting to a derogatory Twitter post by Elon Musk allegedly refering to Unsworth. EPA-EFE/PONGMANAT TASIRI

Thailand cave rescue to be turned into Netflix production by makers of ‘Crazy Rich Asians’

Members of the Wild Boars soccer team and their coach at an event to announce the Netflix deal. Photo: EPA

epa07537921 Members of Thailand's Wild Boars football team attend a press conference to announce the 'Thai Cave Rescue Series Contract Exchange Ceremony' with Netflix, in Bangkok, 30 April 2019. According to Netflix, they had agreed Tuesday to team up with the SK Global, producers of 'Crazy Rich Asians' for the production of a mini-series based on the real-life rescue of the 12 members of the Wild Boars football team and their coach from a flooded cave in northern Thailand in 2018. EPA-EFE/DIEGO AZUBEL

TOPSHOT - This handout video grab taken from footage released by the Royal Thai Navy on July 11, 2018 shows rescue personnel carrying a member of the "Wild Boars" Thai youth football team on a stretcher during the rescue operation inside the Tham Luang cave in Khun Nam Nang Non Forest Park in Mae Sai district. The 12 boys rescued from a Thai cave were passed "sleeping" on stretchers through the treacherous passageways, a former Thai Navy SEAL told AFP on July 11, giving the first clear details of an astonishing rescue mission that has captivated the world. / AFP PHOTO / ROYAL THAI NAVY / Handout / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / Royal Thai Navy " - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

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Petty Officer Beiret Bureerak’s condition had worsened despite treatment
Another rescuer, former navy diver Sergeant Saman Kuman, died during the operation



Petty Officer Beiret Bureerak’s condition had worsened despite treatment, the Thai Navy said.


Thai navy Seal who took part in cave rescue dies from blood infection contracted during mission

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;} Petty Officer Beiret Bureerak’s condition had worsened despite treatment Another rescuer, former navy diver Sergeant Saman Kuman, died during the operation

Petty Officer Beiret Bureerak’s condition had worsened despite treatment

Another rescuer, former navy diver Sergeant Saman Kuman, died during the operation