Captain Of Thai Football Team Stuck In Cave Passes Away, Reportedly Suffered Head Injury

Captain Of Thai Football Team Stuck In Cave Passes Away On 14 Feb

Nearly five years ago, 12 members of a Thai youth football team and their coach found themselves stuck in a cave as heavy rainfall blocked off their exit.

Thankfully, all 13 of them were safely rescued after a two-week operation that involved rescuers from all over the world.

Though the cave rescue operation was nothing short of inspirational, tragic news has since emerged about the team’s captain.

While studying football in the United Kingdom (UK), 17-year-old Duangpetch Promthep passed away on Tuesday (14 Feb), two days after he was found unconscious in his dorm.

Though the cause of death remains unclear, Promthep had reportedly sustained a head injury after falling on the ground.

Captain of Thai football team stuck in cave passes away in Leicester, UK

The 17-year-old, also known as Dom, was the captain of the Wild Boars football team that found themselves trapped in the Tham Luang cave back in 2018.

Having secured a scholarship last August, Dom was studying football at Brooke House College Football Academy in Leicestershire when tragedy struck.

According to the BBC, Dom was found unconscious in his dorm on Sunday (12 Feb) and was subsequently conveyed to the hospital.

He passed away just two days later on Tuesday (14 Feb).

At the time of writing, Dom’s cause of death remains unclear.

Citing reports by KhaoSod, The Thaiger writes that Dom had hit his head after falling on the ground. He passed away even though first aid attempts were made.

His death came to light when his former teacher, Buddhist monk Supatpong Methigo, shared the heartbreaking news on Facebook on Wednesday (15 Feb).

Dom’s grandmother had told the monk that the teen had passed away in an accident.

Tributes pour in on social media

Tributes soon started pouring in on social media.

Prachak Sutham, one of the 12 youth footballers stuck in the cave, shared about one of their conversations in which Dom apparently mentioned his desire to join the Thai national football team.

Non-profit organisation Zico Foundation, which helped Dom secure the football scholarship, similarly expressed their condolences on social media.

Wat Phra That Doi Wao Temple in Chiang Rai also offered condolences on its Facebook page after Dom’s mother informed the temple of her son’s passing.

According to TODAY, the abbot of the temple was informed at about 6am on Wednesday (15 Feb) by Dom’s mother.

The abbot shared that initial reports indicated that “there was an accident” and that Dom passed away despite being placed on a ventilator at the hospital.

MS News extends our condolences to the family and friends of the 17-year-old. May he rest in peace.

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Featured image adapted from Twitter and Facebook.