Duangpetch Promthep: Captain of Thai football team saved from cave passes away | OneFootball

Duangpetch Promthep, the captain of a Thai boys' football team who were rescued from a submerged cave in 2018, has passed away in Leicestershire at the age of just 17.

Per BBC News, Promthep - known to his friends as 'Dom' - was taken to hospital on Sunday having been found unresponsive in his dormitory.

Leicestershire Police confirmed his passing, adding that it was not being treated as suspicious.

Promthep made headlines around the world back in 2018, when he, his coach and 11 teammates became trapped inside the Tham Luang cave after being caught up in a storm on their way back from practice.

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Miraculously, the group survived for nine days in complete darkness and without food before they were rescued by a team of specialist divers.

Promthep even celebrated his 13th birthday while trapped inside the cave.

Their story was eventually turned into a TV series, which premiered on Netflix last year.

Some of the teammates Promthep was trapped with back in 2018 helped him celebrate in August of last year as he confirmed on Instagram that he had won a scholarship to the Brooke House College Football Academy in Market Harborough.

Tragically, just six months later, those same teammates are mourning their former captain.

Touching tributes were left to the youngster on social media after news of his passing emerged.

Prachak Sutham, who was rescued alongside Promthep in 2018, wrote: "You told me to wait and see you play for the national team, I always believe that you would do it.

"When we met the last time before you left for England, I even jokingly told you that when you come back, I would have to ask for your autograph.

"Sleep well, my dear friend. We will always have 13 of us together."

Another survivor Titan Chanin Viboonrungruang, echoed those words.

"Brother, you told me that we would be achieving our football dream... if the next world is real, I want us to play football together again, my brother Dom."

Principal of Brooke House College, Ian Smith, said everyone at the educational institute were 'deeply saddened and shaken' by Promthep's passing.

"We unite in grief with all of Dom's family, friends, former teammates and those involved in all parts of his life, as well as everyone affected in any way by this loss in Thailand and throughout the college's global family."

Our thoughts go out to all affected at this sad time.