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Thai soccer players pay respects to navy SEAL who died saving them from flooded cave

Sunday, July 15, 2018
Photos show the young players bowing their heads in prayer in their hospital ward in honor of Saman Kunan, the Thai navy SEAL who died during the rescue operation to save the soccer team from a flooded cave.
CHIANG RAI, Thailand -- As they continued to recover in the hospital, members of the youth soccer team rescued after spending 18 days in a flooded cave stopped to honor the life of the former Thai navy SEAL who died during the rescue operation.

Photos released Saturday by the Thai Public Health Ministry show the young men bowing their heads in prayer in their hospital ward. They also posed with a drawing of former Thai navy SEAL Petty Officer Saman Gunan, the sole fatality of the rescue operation, and wrote messages of thanks to Saman. Some of the boys appear to be crying in the photos.
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Saman, 38, was a volunteer who had been engaged in the important mission of helping replace oxygen canisters along the route to where the boys were sheltering to make the hours-long passage possible. He collapsed and died on July 6 while diving; some officials told the Associated Press that Saman's own oxygen supply ran out during the dive.

Rescuer working near a cave where 12 boys and their soccer coach have been trapped since June 23, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand Sunday, July 8, 2018.AP
Two ambulances are seen leaving the cave in northern Thailand hours after operations began to rescue trapped youth soccer players.AP
This undated photo released via the Thai NavySEAL Facebook Page on Sunday, July 8, 2018, says "€œWe,€™ Thai and international teams join forces to bring the young Wild Boars home."AP
Rescuers arrive near the cave where 12 boys and their soccer coach have been trapped since June 23, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand Sunday, July 8, 2018.AP
Australian Federal Police and Defense Force personnel arrive near a cave where 12 boys and their soccer coach have been trapped since June 23,.AP
Thai police stand guard near a cave where 12 boys and their soccer coach have been trapped since June 23, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand.AP
Thai policemen stand guard near a cave where 12 boys and their soccer coach have been trapped since June 23, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province.AP
Rescuer walk out from cave where 12 boys and their soccer coach have been trapped since June 23, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand Sunday, July 8, 2018.AP
Australian Federal Police and Defense Force personnel arrive near a cave where 12 boys and their soccer coach have been trapped since June 23, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province.AP
Family members pray near a cave where 12 boys and their soccer coach have been trapped since June 23, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand Saturday, July 7, 2018.AP
Thai rescue teams use a water pumping system at the entrance to a flooded cave complex where 12 boys and their soccer coach went missing.AP
Thai rescue teams walk inside cave complex where 12 boys and their soccer coach went missing in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, northern Thailand.AP
Family members pray in front of a Buddhist statue near a cave where 12 boys and their soccer coach have been trapped since June 23, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province.AP
Thai rescue teams arrange a water pumping system at the entrance to a flooded cave complex where 12 boys and their soccer coach went missing in northern Thailand.AP
Family members pray in front giant Buddhist statue near a cave where 12 boys and their soccer coach have been trapped since June 23, in northern Thailand Saturday, July 7, 2018.AP
Thai rescue teams walk inside cave complex where 12 boys and their soccer coach went missing in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, northern Thailand.AP
Thai soldiers line up to the cave area as they continue the search for a young soccer team and their coach believed to be missing in a large cave, Wednesday, June 27, 2018.AP
International rescuers team prepare to walk in a cave where a young soccer team and their coach are believed to be missing, Thursday, July 5, 2018.AP
Thai rescues team walk inside cave complex where 12 boys and their soccer coach went missing, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, Monday, July 2, 2018.AP
Thai rescues team walk inside cave complex where 12 boys and their soccer coach went missing, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, Monday, July 2, 2018.AP
International rescuers team prepare walk in of a cave where a young soccer team and their coach are believed to be missing, Thursday, July 5, 2018.AP
Thai rescues team walk inside cave complex where 12 boys and their soccer coach went missing, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, in northern Thailand, Monday, July 2, 2018.AP
A U.S. military rescue team is briefed by the Thai Navy SEALs at the staging area outside the Tham Luang Nang Non cave in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province, northern Thailand .AP
Members of the emergency rescue team talk in the staging area as they continue the search for a young soccer team and their coach believed to be missing in a large cave.AP
In this handout photo released by the Thai Navy, Thai rescue teams walk inside the cave complex where 12 boys and their soccer coach went missing in northern Thailand.AP


Saman was granted a posthumous promotion to lieutenant commander by King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun and given the royal decoration of Knight Grand Cross (first class) of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant, the SEALs said Saturday on their Facebook page.
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The former SEAL, who is being honored as a national hero, was cremated Saturday in his home northeastern province of Roi Et.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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