Boy rescued from Thai cave who died in Britain five years later was found unconscious in dormitory

The mystery of the death of Thai cave rescue survivor Duangphet Promthep deepened last night after it emerged he was found unconscious on his bedroom floor in the UK.

The 17-year-old nicknamed ‘Dom’, a former captain of the Wild Boars football team, rescued in 2018 from the flooded Tham Luang cave system in northern Thailand by British divers, has reportedly suffered a ‘head injury’.

At the time of his death, Dom was studying at Brooke House College in Market Harborough, Leicestershire.

Kiatisuk Senamuang, a former coach of the Thailand national soccer team and chairman of the Zico Foundation, which sponsored the talented young footballer, described himself as “shocked and stunned” by the news of the young man’s sudden death.

He said Promthep was found unconscious on the floor in his room in the academy dormitory and was immediately taken to hospital.

Last year, Promthep celebrated his first Christmas in the UK after moving to enroll at a Leicester soccer academy.

Senamuang, known as Coach Zico, said Dom had been hospitalized for a few days and passed away on Tuesday.

So far the cause of death is not clear and there were no witnesses to what happened and hospital examinations are still awaited.

“My thoughts are with his family and friends,” Zico said. “I remember his dream to become a professional footballer, to represent his country and his voice keeps speaking in my head,” he said, fighting back tears.

When asked if Dom had any health problems before, the coach said that he was very healthy and had undergone a full health check to get his student visa.

The news came as his mother made a heartfelt plea for his ‘body and soul’ to return to Thailand after his mysterious death at a UK soccer academy.

Meanwhile, the social media accounts of Dom’s friends and family were awash with tributes to the boy whose image captivated the hearts of the nation as he and his team survived their ordeal.

Twelve members of the team, ages 11 to 16, and their 25-year-old assistant coach were trapped in the flooded cave for 18 days by sudden rain.

The massive and successful international effort to get them out alive, spearheaded by expert British cave divers, was recently portrayed in the gripping Hollywood film starring Colin Farrell and Viggo Mortensen.

Dom had been accepted on a soccer scholarship to an academy in Leicestershire and had passed a full health check as part of the visa process, it was revealed.

Promthep, circled, is pictured with members of his Wild Boar soccer team after the rescue.

Promthep was filmed smiling for the rescue team’s camera after he and his team waited for 18 days in the darkness of the cave.

Colin Farrell, Joel Edgerton and Viggo Mortensen in a scene from ‘Thirteen Lives’

At the time of his death, Dom was studying at Brooke House College in Market Harborough, Leicestershire, on a scholarship.

Promthep (pictured with her father) promised she would ‘study hard’ in the UK

Brooke House College has said it is ‘devastated’ by the loss of Promthep

Promthep shared several snapshots taken while he was enrolled in the soccer academy.

The teen also shared photos of him working hard on lessons in between his soccer practice.

Promthep also shared her love for traditional English fry ups with her followers.

Promthep (centre) pictured on a trip to London Bridge last year after moving to the UK

Meanwhile, Dom’s mother, Thanaporn Promthep, made a moving plea for help to recover the body of her beloved son and to help organize a Buddhist ritual in the UK to ensure his soul was also returned to Thailand.

‘Our family is not rich and recently he was our main breadwinner. Please help us recover his body, ”said his mother.

Mr. Senamuang insisted that he would do everything possible to help and offered moral support to Dom’s mother and her family, saying, “Please be strong, mother.” He added that Dom was a good boy, everyone loves him.

“Our family knows that everyone at the foundation loves Dom and Coach Zico loved him like his own son,” said Ms. Promthep.

On his Facebook page, Coach Zico wrote: ‘Rest in peace, you were my lovely student, polite and gentlemanly, generous, you dreamed of becoming a professional footballer playing for the national team, you had good technique and were ready to learn, you were a fast learner I’d love to see the future of your dreams, but… RIP Sun.’

The former monk who was the boy’s trainer, also trapped in the cave, Eakapol Chantawong, also known as Trainer Eak, said on his Facebook page: ‘Dom, you will be in our memory forever.

You will be a model for the youth of our team as a fighter who never gives up on the path of football. May your soul rest in peace, Dom Duangpetch Phromthep, one of the 13 former members of the Wild Boars team.

Promthep was invited to the British Embassy in Bangok by Deputy Ambassador Dave Thomas after receiving his football scholarship.

The football-mad teenager described it as a “dream” to move to the UK and study.

He wrote: ‘Today my dream came true. I’m going to be a football student in England’

The rescue of Promthep and his team from the cave system remains a matter of national concern.

Former teammate Phiphat Phothi, aka Nick, another of the Wild Boars, said simply: ‘RIP Dom, your future was bright. You will be in my memory forever.’

The East Midlands Ambulance Service said in a statement: “We received a call at 12:48pm on Sunday February 12 to a private address in Market Harborough.

‘The caller reported a medical emergency. We sent three paramedics in ambulances, one manned ambulance, and the air ambulance was also present.

“We transported a patient by ground ambulance to Kettering General Hospital.”

The rescue of Promthep and his team from the cave system remains a matter of national concern.

The public relations office of Chiang Rai province has promoted as tourist attractions a swimming pool known as Emerald Pool, where salvage water was pumped from the cave, and a statue of a former Thai marine who tragically died during the rescue operation of three weeks. .

Saman Kunan, the 37-year-old former Thai Navy Seal, suffocated to death during the rescue operation while delivering oxygen to the trapped soccer team.