Wild Boars captain dies in UK after Thai cave rescue

Duangpetch Promthep, one of the twelve boys rescued from a cave in Thailand in 2018, has died in the United Kingdom.

The teen is reported to have suffered a head injury, although the cause of death remains unknown.

In late 2012, at the age of 17, he enrolled in the Brooke House College Football Academy in Leicestershire.

Promthep was the captain of the Thai boys’ football team that was trapped in Chiang Rai province for two weeks along with their coach.

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His mother informed the Wat Doi Wao temple in his hometown of Chiang Rai that the team frequently visited the temple. A number of his cave rescue teammates have also shared the news on their social media accounts.

Wednesday, the temple posted condolences to Promthep, also known as Dom, on Facebook. The post, accompanied by photographs of the football team with monks, stated, “May Dom’s soul rest in peace.”

The Thai non-profit Zico Foundation, which had assisted Promthep in obtaining a scholarship to study in England, also expressed condolences on Facebook.

Promthep was a member of the Wild Boars (Moo Pa in Thai) football team, which entered the Tham Luang cave on June 23, 2018, and was subsequently trapped by rising floodwaters.

He was 13 at the time, while his teammates ranged in age from 11 to 16.

Two weeks later, the boys and their coach were rescued after a dramatic effort involving nearly 100 Thai and foreign divers. They were rescued while under the influence of ketamine.

Tham Luang is the fourth largest cave system in Thailand and one of the team’s favorite destinations.

The rescue made headlines around the world, and several films, books, and a Netflix miniseries retelling the extraordinary story were subsequently produced.

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