Duangpetch Phromthep the captain of the Thai boys soccer team trapped in a cave died at the age of 17 in the United Kingdom on Sunday.
According to CNN, authorities announced Wednesday that Phromthep had passed away after an accident in Leicestershire, England, where he was enrolled at a soccer academy.
In 2018, Phromthep, who was 13 at the time, and his teammates were trapped in the flooded Tham Luang Cave. The mission to save the team captured the attention of millions around the world.
Last year, Phromthep moved to England after securing a scholarship to Brooke House College Football Academy with the help of the Zico Foundation, The New York Times reports. On social media he wrote, “I promise I will focus and do my best.”
The Zico Foundation told The New York Times that the 17-year-old was found unconscious in his dorm room on Sunday. He was taken to the hospital where he died.
“The atmosphere at his house in Chiang Rai province was full of sorrow,” PR Thailand’s statement said, according to CNN.
Police say that the death is not being treated as suspicious but no cause has been determined. Phromthep’s mother says the family is waiting for his body to return home.
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