A Thai Navy SEAL who aided with the rescue of a youth soccer team trapped in a flooded cave last year has died from an infection that he contracted during the dramatic recovery mission.
Thai Navy Petty Officer Beirut Pakbara fell ill with a blood infection while working to retrieve the 12 young boys and their coach, the Thai Navy said in a statement on Friday.
After the 18-day ordeal came to an end in June last year — with the entire team emerging safely from Tham Luang cave in northern Thailand — he was under close supervision by doctors during his year-long illness.
“His condition worsened and he died from the blood infection,” the navy said, expressing “profound sadness” to his family.
An official in Beirut’s home province of Satun told reporters that the Navy SEAL was immediately buried on Friday after he died, in accordance with Islamic 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 airline to the children and their coach.
A statue of Saman Gunan has been erected near the cave’s entrance, attracting more than 1.3 million tourists since the 12 youngsters and the coach were extracted from their watery jail.
The rescue mission — which included foreign expert divers and the Thai Navy — drew extraordinary global interest to the mountainous district of Mae Sai.
The boys of the Wild Boars soccer team also became global celebrities and have since toured the world, meeting soccer stars on England’s Manchester United and the US’ LA Galaxy, as well as headlining on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in the US.
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