'Cave Miracle Survival' Thai Boy... Dies While Studying in the UK

Captain of Youth Soccer Team Rescued After 17 Days in 2018
Studied in UK Late Last Year... Found Collapsed in Dormitory

Dongpetch Promtep (17), the captain of a youth soccer team who miraculously survived after being trapped in a cave in Thailand for 17 days in 2018 and inspired people worldwide, has died while studying in the UK.

According to foreign media reports including the British daily The Guardian on the 15th (local time), the Thai Zico Scholarship Foundation, which supported Promtep, announced that a teacher found him collapsed in the dormitory on the 12th and took him to the hospital, but he ultimately passed away. Brookhouse College in Leicester, UK, where Promtep attended, also confirmed his death.

On the 14th, Dongpetchi Promtep (17), who died while studying in the UK, is seen speaking at a press conference in 2018.
[Photo by AFP Yonhap News]

Promtep had been studying soccer in the UK since the end of last year. The Guardian reported that he received treatment at the hospital until the 14th but eventually died. The exact cause of death has not yet been confirmed, but there are no indications of foul play. The BBC reported that in Thailand, there were also reports that Promtep had fallen and injured his head during a soccer match.

Promtep was the captain of the youth soccer team "Mu Pa (Wild Boars)" that was trapped in a cave in Thailand in 2018 and miraculously rescued after 17 days. At that time, 13 people including 12 boys aged 11 to 16 and a 25-year-old coach entered the Tham Luang cave in northern Chiang Rai but became trapped due to rapidly rising water caused by sudden heavy rain.

Subsequently, more than 1,000 multinational rescue experts from countries including the United States, the UK, China, and Australia, along with Thai Navy SEAL rescue personnel, were mobilized to rescue all 13 people. This incident later inspired a movie and a Netflix drama, deeply moving the world at the time.

In particular, Promtep, the captain, amazed the world by showing an unusually calm demeanor for his age, even smiling while trapped inside the cave. The BBC described, "His bright smile captured by the diver’s camera was one of the most impressive scenes during the rescue operation."

Dreamed of Becoming a National Team Player and Went Abroad to Study Soccer...

Promtep’s dream was to become a national team soccer player. Before leaving for soccer studies in the UK at the end of last year, he posted on social media, "My dream has come true. I am now a student at a soccer school in the UK."

The Zico Foundation said, "Promtep really enjoyed playing soccer in the UK," adding, "He was very fast, smart, and seemed full of happiness."

Ian Smith, principal of Brookhouse College, expressed condolences, saying, "The school is deeply saddened and shocked by Promtep’s death," and "We share our grief with his family, friends, former teammates, and everyone who was part of his life."

After news of Promtep’s death spread, his teammates from the Thai youth soccer team who were also rescued from the cave sent their final farewells on social media.

Prajak Sutam, a youth soccer team member, wrote, "When I last met him before he left for the UK, he said he would come back as a national team soccer player," adding, "I joked that I would get his autograph when he returned to Thailand. Rest well." Tidtan Chanin Wibunrungluang, the youngest member of the soccer team, said, "He was the person who inspired me to grow and try to catch up," and "If there is a next life, I hope we can play soccer together again."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.