by Duangpetch Promthep, one of 12 members of a football team in Thailand trapped in a cave in 2018was found lifeless in his bedroom in the UK.
The 17-year-old captained the Wild Boars – the name of the Thai team he represented in 2018 – and was one of the main figures in the rescue that focused the world’s attention five years ago.
The cause of death has not yet been determined
He was found unconscious in his bedroom last Sunday and was rushed to hospital, where he died on Tuesday, according to information gathered by the BBC from residents of the young man’s hometown.
Investigations into the cause of death are ongoing, however it appears that he suffered head trauma.
However, the death was confirmed by the teenager’s mother who informed the Wat Doi Wao temple, located in the city of Chiang Rai. This was the sacred place that the young man and his former companions frequented when they played together.
Duagpetch Promthep, known as Dom to friends and family, has been living in the UK since last August when he was awarded a scholarship to join Broke House College’s Football Academy.in the city of Leicestershire.
The rescue that took the world by storm
On June 23, 2018, 12 athletes between the ages of 11 and 16, along with their coach, decided to visit Tham Luang Cave, Chiang Rai City, after a soccer practice.
This was one of the favorite places for young people, but this time the visit did not go as expected. An unexpected storm hit the site and flooded the cave, blocking the exit.
The youngsters were trapped and could only be rescued by divers after nine days. During this time, thousands of people participated in search and rescue operations.
The episode gave rise to films and documentaries
After the rescue of the media, several audio-visual productions were developed with the aim of depicting the entire process that the 12 youths and the coach went through over the nine days.
The Discovery Channel produced a documentary called “The Rescue in Thailand”, which premiered in Portugal in 2018.
The giant Netflix premiered the miniseries “The Thai Cave Rescue” last year. The plot, faithful to the events, is developed in six episodes of one hour each.
Another major rescue-inspired production of 2018 was the film Thirteen Lives-O Resgate, directed by Ron Howard. The feature film featured several Thai actors as well as names such as Colin Farrell, Viggo Mortenses, Joel Edgerton, Tom Bateman, among others.
