The 12 boys and their soccer coach who were rescued from a cave in northern Thailand made their first appearance at a news conference Wednesday night after being discharged from hospital and before going home at last.

Seated on stage beneath a banner saying 'Bring the Wild Boars Home,' the boys aged 11 to 16 thanked the rescuers who got them out of the flooded Tham Luang cave. They also thanked the hundreds of millions of people around the world who prayed for their safety and wildly cheered after all were rescued after 18 days.

Looking remarkably healthy and vibrant, they also expressed gratitude and respect for the former Thai navy SEAL, Samarn Kunan, who died during the search and rescue operation, and promised to lead lives worthy of his sacrifice.

"He (Samarn) sacrificed his life to save our lives, the boys were shocked when informed" of his death, the coach, Ekapol Chantawong, said.

Ekapol, 25, said the team planned to only briefly visit and explore the cave after practice on June 23, but the water level inside the massive cave complex unexpectedly began to rise rapidly, prompting the group to move deeper inside by walking and swimming.

Contrary to news reports that none of the boys could swim, it was learned at Wednesday's tightly controlled and scripted news conference that all could swim.

After realizing they were trapped, Ekapol said the group tried to get out of the cave through the same route they came in but failed due to the high water, as many sections of the kilometers-long cave had become flooded by the monsoon rains.

Ekapol then urged the boys to keep their spirits up and keep looking for another way out while also waiting for help from outside. The boys had engaged in meditation to keep clam and their fear under control in the darkness.

Ekapol said the group did not have any food with them inside the cave and had only water to drink. The boys said they became weak and one boy briefly fainted at one point.

They used sharp rocks in an attempt to dig an escape passage through the cave wall, and had excavated about a four-meter long tunnel by the time they were found 10 days after going missing.

One of the boys, Adul Sarm-on, 14, said they were extremely hungry when two British divers found the group, huddled in a dry chamber deep within the cave complex on Day 10 of their ordeal.

It would take another eight days to get the entire group out of the cave, as rescue workers set about lowering the water level by pumping water out of the cave, aided by a lull in the seasonal monsoon deluge.

Regarding the rescue operation, the coach said he discussed with Thai navy SEALs what boys should be the first to come out, but eventually it was decided through volunteering because all were in good health.

During the press conference, the medical team and psychologists at the hospital in Chiang Rai said the mental condition of the boys and coach was good and they were ready to go back to normal life.

Before the news conference, both the Thai and foreign media were told to submit questions, which were then screened by psychologists.

Most of the boys said they wanted to be professional football players and to continue their education. They also apologized to their families for causing so much distress.

Asked about returning to the cave again, most said they did not want to go back inside, while the coach said he would return to just visit the area near the entrance.

(Boys showing gratitude for the deceased Thai navy SEAL, Samarn Kunan)

The boys and coach said while in hospital, they had watched the World Cup final between France and Croatia, and most supported France.

The Wild Boar soccer team members had entered the cave, located in Chiang Rai Province, on June 23 and were subsequently trapped by rising flood waters. Amid a frantic search effort by hundreds of rescuers and support personnel, foreign and Thai divers found the group sheltering on a dry patch about 4 kilometers from the entrance of the cave on July 2.

The rescue operation began on July 8 with four boys safely rescued, following by another group of four on July 9. The last group of five including the coach were brought out on July 10, ending the long wait of their families and those who monitored the incident across the globe.