Narongsak Osottanakorn, the beloved Thai official known as the “Wild Boar Governor” for his pivotal part in the daring cave rescue of 12 boys and their football coach in 2018, has died of cancer. Narongsak died at the age of 58, on the fifth anniversary of the extraordinary rescue mission that enthralled the globe. He is survived by his wife and two daughters.
The hero’s sad death comes on the heels of the loss of the Wild Boars’ captain, 17-year-old Duangphet Phromthep, who died of a head injury in the UK, according to the BBC. Narongsak, the governor of Thailand’s Chiang Rai province, led the extraordinary rescue mission to save the lads and their coach, who had been stranded deep inside the flooded Tham Luang cave for 18 perilous days.
Throughout the experience, Narongsak spearheaded the multinational rescue operation, organizing teams from the United Kingdom, the United States, China, and other countries. His presence near the cave entrance, directing the complex rescue operations, and conducting daily press briefings gained him widespread acclaim in Thailand and elsewhere. As he put it, the goal “united humanity as a whole,” a message that rang true throughout the world.
In 2018, Narongsak got a prestigious award from the non-profit organization Asia Society in recognition of his great leadership. Accepting the award graciously, he acknowledged the combined effort of approximately 10,000 people participating in the rescue, emphasizing the crucial role each played in achieving success.
Tributes flow in for the leader who brought humanity together in a heroic rescue
When two of the cave survivors, including the coach, learned of Narongsak’s death, they interrupted their football practice to pray and show their appreciation in a poignant video uploaded on Facebook. On Twitter, tributes came in, with one user tweeting an expressive image of Narongsak leading a bunch of wild boars out of the cave while juggling a football with his trunk. Others hailed his outstanding leadership at a critical juncture in history, as well as his lasting impact.
Narongsak’s last public appearance was at his daughter’s wedding, just six days before his death. Despite his frailties, the governor attended the ceremony while masked and sat in a wheelchair. After battling cancer for five years, his funeral is being performed at a temple in Bangkok, with the Thai royal family sending wreaths and holy water to execute the ceremonial bathing procedures. The Wild Boars players will take part in a Buddhist ritual to honor their beloved rescuer.
Narongsak Osottanakorn, born in 1965, has a distinguished career in public service, serving in a variety of capacities, including the Ministry of Interior. He became governor of Chiang Rai in 2017, with plans to transfer to Phayao province before the cave disaster. The administration, however, delayed his relocation in order to assure his leadership in the rescue mission. According to the BBC, Narongsak had a master’s degree in Geodetic Science, specializing in exact earth measurement. As Thailand mourns the loss of a great hero, Narongsak’s unshakable courage and selflessness will live on in Thai history, reminding the world of the tremendous lengths people will go to save lives and unify humanity.