CHIANG RAI – The 12 boys and the coach of the wild Boars football team payed respect to the former Navy Seal Lt-Commander Samarn Gunan who perished, marking one year after the first four were extracted from the flooded cave complex.
The 12 young Wild Boars footballers and their coach offered alms to monks in dedication to former Thai Navy Seal Officer Saman Kunan or Ja Sam during a religious ceremony on Monday.
On July 8, 2018, four of them were safely rescued after having been trapped for nine days. The rest was brought out of Tham Luang cave on the following two days during the international rescue operation.
Local officials and army officers also attended the religious rite held at a nearby shrine.
Lt-Commander Samarn Gunan was the only fatality of the three-week ordeal at the Tham Luang cave in Chiang Rai that captivated the world a year ago.
He has been regarded by the boys as their “second father.”
At 7.59 pm Monday night, the boys and other mourners joined in a candle light vigil at Tham Luang cave in paying tribute to Lt-Commander Saman.