The father of Australian doctor Richard Harris, who was the last to leave a Thai cave after rescuing a youth football team, has died. Harris received the heartbreaking news just moments after emerging from the Tham Luang Nang Non cave system on Tuesday.
Harris, an anaesthetist and experienced cave diver, had given up his holiday to join the international rescue effort. His boss, Andrew Peace, said in a statement: 'This is clearly a time of grief for the Harris family, magnified by the physical and emotional demands of being part of this week's highly complex and ultimately successful rescue operation.'
The circumstances of Harris's father's death have not been made public. Australia's foreign minister, Julie Bishop, praised the Australian personnel involved, tweeting: 'An extraordinary international effort by Thai-led team who rescued 12 boys & Wild Boars soccer coach.'
The rescue mission freed 12 boys, aged 11 to 16, and their 25-year-old coach, who had been trapped in the flooded cavern since June 23. Each boy, with no diving experience, was guided out by a pair of divers in three days of highly dangerous operations. A former Thai Navy Seal died on Friday while replenishing oxygen canisters placed along the route.
Rescue mission chief Narongsak Osottanakorn thanked people worldwide for their support, saying: 'This mission was successful because we had power. The power of love. Everybody sent it to the 13.' The hashtag #Hooyah became popular as Thailand and the world celebrated the successful outcome.
