Rescuers want to drain enough cave water so the Thai soccer team could almost walk out — but the clock is ticking

• Authorities have been able to drain some of the water from the cave where a Thai soccer team has been trapped for 12 days.
• Lowering water levels may allow the team to swim and even walk out of the cave without the use of diving equipment. 
• The 12 boys, aged 11-16, and their 25-year-old coach are situated on an elevated embankment about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) from the main entrance.
• Rescuers are trying to quickly figure out the safest way to extract the boys, as monsoon rains are predicted for this weekend which may further complicate rescue efforts. 

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Authorities have been able to drain some of the water from the cave where a Thai soccer team has been trapped for 12 days, which may allow the team to avoid using diving equipment and almost walk out.

Rescuers can now enter the cave up until the third chamber located about 1.5 kilometers (1 mile) from the cave's entrance without using scuba gear, Poonsak Woongsatngiem, a rescue official with Thailand's Interior Ministry, told reporters on Thursday.

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See Also:

• The coach of the Thai soccer team stuck in a cave taught the boys to meditate to conserve energy
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• Watch the moment rescuers found 13 trapped soccer team members alive in Thailand

SEE ALSO: This map shows what a huge challenge it will be to rescue the soccer team stuck in a Thai cave system

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