MAE SAI, Thailand — For two weeks, 12 young soccer players and their coach have been trapped in a partially flooded cave in northern Thailand, riveting the nation and making news around the world.

The boys, aged 11-16, and their 25-year-old coach were missing for over a week before rescue divers finally found them on Monday. The boys were skinny and hungry, but were in good health.

Now, Thai officials wrestle with the task of extracting the 13 from the cave. Officials have suggested that a quick underwater evacuation of the boys and their coach is needed because of the possibility that access to the cave could soon close again due to more seasonal monsoon rains.

Earlier efforts to pump out water from the cave have been set back every time there has been a heavy rain.

The desperate search and rescue operation has seen experts from around the world join in, with teams from Britain, the U.S., Australia, China and elsewhere all participating.