The massive operation inside and around Tham Luang Nang Non cave suffered its first death Friday when a former Thai navy SEAL passed out underwater and could not be revived.
"We can no longer wait for all conditions (to be ready) because circumstances are pressuring us," Thai SEAL commander Arpakorn Yookongkaew told a news conference.
"We originally thought the boys can stay safe inside the cave for quite some time, but circumstances have changed.
A senior army commander, Maj. Gen. Chalongchai Chaiyakam, said the most pressing mission is the oxygen line.
The boys, aged 11-16, and their 25-year-old coach went exploring in the cave after a soccer game June 23.
Authorities have been racing to pump out water from the cave before more storms in the coming days raise the water levels again.
Cave rescue experts have said it could be safest to simply supply the boys where they are, and wait for the flooding to subside. »