The 12 boys rescued from a flooded cave in Thailand have spoken publicly of their ordeal for the first time, describing the ‘moment of miracle’ when divers found them.
Adul Sam-on, 14, the only member of the group who speaks English, told reporters he could only say "hello" when the British divers surfaced.
The boys were trapped in the Tham Luang caves for more than two weeks.
They left hospital earlier on Wednesday and are on their way home, reports BBC.
The 12, who are members of a junior football team, the Wild Boars, appeared in their club's kit at a news conference in Chiang Rai.
They were greeted by a banner that read "Bringing the Wild Boars Home" on a stage designed to look like a football pitch.
The boys sat alongside members of the Thai Navy Seals who helped rescue them.
One boy described how they had lived only on water from the stones of the cave. "Water is clean," he said. "No food."
Some said they would learn from their ordeal. One promised to be "more careful and live my life the fullest". Another said: "This experience taught me to be more patient and strong."
The team's coach, Ekapol Chantawong, who was rescued with them, paid tribute to Saman Kunan, a Navy Seal who died during the operation.
"We are impressed that Saman sacrificed his life to save us so that we could go and live our lives. Once we heard the news, we were shocked," he said. "We were very sad. We felt like... we caused sadness to his family."
The boys are due to be ordained as Buddhist monks for a short period of time, a tradition for males in Thailand who have experienced a misfortune.
