Twelve Thai boys rescued from a flooded cave in northern Thailand will be discharged from hospital next week, health minister Piyasakol Sakolsatayadorn said on Saturday. The last group of the 12-member "Wild Boars" soccer team and their coach was brought out of the Tham Luang cave on Tuesday night, safely ending a dangerous rescue and evoking international relief and joy. The 12 and their coach are recovering both physically and mentally and will be discharged from hospital on Thursday, July 19, Piyasakol told reporters. "We need to prepare both the children and their families for the attention they will receive when they come out," he said. The young "Wild Boars" and their 25-year-old football coach Ekkapol Chantawong wandered into the cave on June 23. Sudden floodwaters forced them to retreat deep into the Tham Luang complex, sparking the desperate hunt that seized the worlds attention. Thai authorities have only released partial information about the bold operation to free the team, heavily restricting access to the boys and their families. But in a striking coda to an already astonishing tale, a former Thai Navy SEAL told AFP the boys were "sleeping" as they were passed from divers or on pulleys as they exited the cave in stretchers. Footage circulated by the SEAL team showed boys seemingly unconscious in wetsuits and diving gear being carried over rocky passageways.