In June and July 2018, a junior association football team was rescued from the Tham Luang Nang Non cave in Chiang Rai Province in northern Thailand. Twelve members of the team, aged eleven to 16, and their 25-year-old assistant coach entered the cave on 23 June after a football practice session. Heavy rainfall partially flooded the cave system, blocking their way out and trapping them deep within. Efforts to locate the group were hampered by rising water levels and strong currents. The cave rescue effort expanded into a massive operation amid intense worldwide public interest.