Thai cave rescue: Australian doctor's father dies during 'hero' son's dramatic rescue mission to free trapped boys

Rescue success: The last four rescuers, believed to include Richard Harris, emerge from the cave
Thai NavySEAL/Facebook
Fiona Simpson11 July 2018

The father of an Australian doctor who was the last to leave a cave in Thailand died as his “hero” son battled to rescue a young football team.

Richard Harris received the heart-breaking news on Tuesday just moments after he left Tham Luang Nang Non following the successful rescue of 12 boys and their football coach.

According to Australia's 9 news Mr Harris had given up his holiday to join the mission.

Mr Harris's boss Andrew Peace said in a statement: "This is clearly a time of grief for the Harris family, magnified by the physical and emotional demands of being part of this week's highly complex and ultimately successful rescue operation."

Australia's foreign minister Julie Bishop praised the Australian personnel involved in the rescue effort.

"An extraordinary international effort by Thai-led team who rescued 12 boys & Wild Boars soccer coach," she said on Twitter.

Mr Harris was part of a huge, carefully planned rescue mission to free the group who had been trapped in the flooded cavern since June 23.

The circumstances of Mr Harris’s father’s death have not been made public.

Thailand and the world celebrated as all 12 boys and their 25-year-old coach were pulled out unharmed.

The rescue dominated front page headlines in Thailand.

"All Wild Boars Saved," read one headline.

Thai media celebrate after the final boys were freed from the cave
AP

"Hooyah! Mission accomplished," read another, echoing the rallying cry of the Thai navy SEALs involved in the rescue.

The hashtag #Hooyah was also hugely popular with Thai residents wanting to show their support for the hundreds of rescuers, including divers from around the world, who helped to get the boys out.

Cheers erupted at a local government office where dozens of volunteers and journalists were awaiting news of whether the intricate and high-risk rescue mission had succeeded.

Rescuers enter the cave (REUTERS)
Reuters

People on the street cheered and clapped when ambulances ferrying the boys arrived at the hospital in Chiang Rai city.

Rescue mission chief Narongsak Osottanakorn thanked people in Thailand and around the world at a news conference on Tuesday for their well wishes and support.

"This mission was successful because we had power. The power of love. Everybody sent it to the 13," Narongsak said.

Onlookers watch and cheer as ambulances deliver the rescued boys to hospital
Getty Images

England defender Kyle Walker was among those celebrating as he offered to send he boys football shirts ahead of his team’s World Cup semi-final clash with Croatia tonight.

The dramatic search gripped the world with a Google search on Tuesday for the words "Thai cave rescue" revealed 359 million results.

Rescue workers along the main road leading to Tham Luang Nang Non cave
Getty Images

Each of the boys, ages 11 to 16 and with no diving experience, was guided out by a pair of divers in three days of highly dangerous operations.

The route, in some places just a crawl space, had oxygen canisters positioned at regular intervals to refresh each team's air supply.

A former Thai Navy Seal died on Friday while replenishing the canisters.

Cave diving experts had warned it may be too risky to dive the youngsters out.

But Thai officials, aware that the boys could be trapped for months by monsoon rains and following a massive water pumping effort, seized a window of opportunity provided by relatively mild weather.

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