AKIPRESS.COM - After 17 days underground, all the Thai boys and their football coach have safely escaped from the Tham Luang cave complex, BBC reports.

A team of Thai and international divers mounted a dangerous and complicated rescue to bring the boys out, and details of the bid are still emerging now.

BBC correspondent Jonathan Head has answered some of the core questions about the boys, the rescue attempt, and what happens next.
Why did the kids go so deep into the cave?

We will not know that until we hear from them and their assistant coach, Ekkapol 'Ek" Chantawong.

On that Saturday they were scheduled to play a match, which was cancelled, according to head coach Nopparat Kanthawong. He scheduled a training session instead.

The boys were keen cyclists so on the Facebook chat group through which they communicated with the parents, coach Ek suggested they cycle to the football field.

There was no suggestion there that they would go on to the caves.

Saturday was the 16th birthday of Pheeraphat 'Night' Sompiengjai, and a local shop said the boys spent more than 700 baht (US$22) on food to celebrate, a large sum in this area.

Coach Nop describes Ek as being very kind-hearted and devoted to the boys. He thinks the boys persuaded him to go with them into the caves. The caves are well-known in the area and had been explored by the boys before.

The best guess is they went quite deep, which is easy when they are dry, got caught by rising flood water, and were forced to go even deeper