An official from Thailand who oversaw the dramatic 2018 extraction of 12 boys and their football coach from a flooded cave has passed away from cancer.
This week, which marks the fifth anniversary of the cave rescue, saw the passing of Narongsak Osottanakorn. He was 58.
Because of the football team he helped save, he is adored in Thailand as the "Wild Boar Governor.".
The two daughters and wife of Mr. Narongsak are still alive.
The 17-year-old captain of the Wild Boars, Duangphet Phromthep, passed away in the UK only four months prior to his passing. His death was attributed to a head injury, according to Thai media.
The boys and their coach were imprisoned in the Tham Luang cave for 18 days by Mr. Narongsak, the governor of the Chiang Rai province in northern Thailand. .
During that time, Mr. Narongsak oversaw the rescue operation, which included teams from the US, China, the UK, and other nations. He frequently held daily press briefings and could be seen keeping an eye on the action at the scene.
He received a lot of praise in Thailand for his participation in the cave rescue, which, in his words, "united humanity as a whole.".
After receiving an award from the non-profit Asia Society in New York in 2018, he said, "With over 10,000 people involved, even if one function was missing, we would have been unable to do it.".
When word of Mr. Narongsak's passing spread, two of the cave survivors—including the coach—paused the football game they were playing to say prayers.
"We are grateful that you helped all 13 of us. In a Facebook video, the teen wished the deceased person's soul "a better place to rest.".
Twitter users also paid tribute. One user posted an image of Mr. Narongsak as a spectacled elephant leading a group of wild boars out of a cave while dribbling and tossing with his trunk.
Another Twitter user praised him for showing "leadership in a critical moment," while a third said that "we will always remember his goodness forever.".
Six days before his passing, Mr. Narongsak attended his daughter's wedding, which was his last public appearance. Thai media released images of the elderly governor participating in the ceremony while wearing a mask and using a wheelchair. Five years had passed since his cancer diagnosis.
According to reports, the Thai royal family sent wreaths and holy water to be used for the bathing rites at his funeral, which is taking place at a temple in Bangkok. Thai media reported that some of the Wild Boars' members will participate in a Buddhist ceremony in his honor.
Mr. Narongsak, a veteran bureaucrat who was born in 1965, served in the public sector for many years in a variety of capacities, including time in the Ministry of the Interior.
He served as Chiang Rai's governor for 15 months after being appointed to the position in 2017. The province's lush trails and elephant parks have made it famous in northern Thailand.
When the football team got stuck in the cave, he was about to be moved to a smaller province called Phayao. He delayed, though, in order to direct the rescue effort.
He had a master's in geodetic science, the discipline that deals with accurately measuring the size and shape of the earth.
Since 2021, Mr. Narongsak has presided as the provincial governor of Pathum Thani. He reportedly turned down an offer to run for governor of Bangkok due to health concerns.
