7 incredible facts about the Thai cave rescue

Is it a miracle, or is it science? That was the question posed by the Thai Navy SEAL team after the completed rescue of all 12 Thai youth soccer players and their 25-year-old coach on Tuesday. The boys became trapped in the Tham Luang cave on June 23 while exploring the cave system, as rising waters forced them deeper and deeper into the cavern. The boys were finally located, miraculously alive, after nine days of searching — and then the rescue efforts began. Here are 7 facts about the rescue. Jeva Lange

1. Many of the boys did not know how to swim and were given anti-anxiety medications before being helped out by divers. [The New York Times, The Telegraph]

2. It took 11 hours for a diver to make the five-mile roundtrip to reach the boys. [ITV]

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3. All the while, hundreds of gallons of water were being pumped out of the cave — the equivalent of 48 Olympic-sized swimming pools in a 75-hour period. In an effort to stop the flooding, authorities also dammed streams that flowed into the caves. Natural shafts that dumped water into the caves were also plugged. [Sky, Reuters]

4. Divers used "Heyphones," a 20-year-old technology, to communicate with the rescue base. The ultra-low frequency transmitters are able to penetrate through rock and send divers' locations and messages. [Wired]

5. Approximately 90 divers were involved in the rescue. About 50 were foreigners. [AFP]

6. After being in the dark for two weeks, the boys have to wear dark sunglasses after they emerge, until their eyes adjust. [NYT]

7. After being removed from the cave, the boys went straight to the hospital — and into quarantine. Doctors are worried about diseases that might have been in the cave waters or spread by animals. All the boys have been treated with antibiotics and received vaccinations for tetanus and rabies. Two boys might have pneumonia, but the doctor called all of the first eight rescued "in good health, with no fever, and in a good mood." [NYT]