On June 23, 2018, the Wild Boars soccer team finished their Saturday morning practice in Mae Sai, Thailand. The local soccer team was made up of boys ages 11 to 17, and they were a close-knit group, calling each other by nicknames, as is the custom for friends and family in Thailand. The team’s assistant coach, 25-year-old Ekkapol Chantawong (nicknamed Coach Ek) promised to take the team to explore a local cave after practice. The boys on the team often spent time together off the soccer field, usually doing outdoor activities such as swimming and biking.

Twelve team members went on the cave expedition, and they all agreed that they must be out of the cave by five o’ clock that evening, in time for their team member Night’s birthday party. After stopping for snacks, the boys rode their bikes to the cave, called Tham Luang, and began their spelunking adventure. Although a posted sign warns visitors not to enter during the rainy season because of cave flooding, the boys and their coach weren’t too worried since the rains usually wouldn’t come for another three weeks.