The body of the former Thai navy SEAL diver who died while trying to rescue soccer players in a flooded cave is on its way…
The body of the former Thai navy SEAL diver who died while trying to rescue soccer players in a flooded cave is on its way back home.
Petty Officer First Class Saman Gunan ran out of oxygen and died Friday while delivering air tanks during the dangerous rescue mission of the group, which has been trapped for nearly two weeks.
The 37-year-old’s casket was draped with the national flag and transported from a hospital to a naval base in Chon Buri, the Bangkok Post reported .
About 100 officials held a 10-minute moment of silence for the fallen officer before the casket was loaded onto a Royal Thai Navy plane and flown to the base.
A royal bathing rite and chanting ceremony were also performed.
Gunan’s body will make its final journey to his home in Roi Et on Saturday, when funeral services will be held.
Gunan, a former member of the navy’s Underwater Demolition Assault Unit — members of which are known as SEALs — had volunteered to help rescue the 12 young soccer players and their coach.
The group went missing in Tham Luang’s complex cave system in northern Thailand following heavy flooding that made it impossible to get out.
They were found alive earlier this week, but now workers are scrambling to save them as oxygen inside the cave continues to drop to dangerous levels, CNN reported Friday .
