A former Thailand navy SEAL has died while working to save 12 boys and their coach from the submerged Tham Luang cave complex, the New York Times reports. The death comes as a heavy blow to the rescue mission, as monsoon rains threaten further flooding and as oxygen levels inside the chamber have started to drop.
Around 1:00 am local time this morning, Saman Gunan, a 38-year-old retired Thai navy SEAL, was on his way out of the cave system after delivering extra oxygen canisters a long the route to the trapped boys and their coach when he ran out of oxygen and lost consciousness. His partner, who was unable to revive him, brought his body back to the mouth of the cave.
“His job was to deliver oxygen,” Passakorn Boonyaluck, the deputy governor of the Chiang Rai region, told reporters. “He did not have enough on his way back.”