A Thai navy SEAL who took part in the dramatic rescue of 12 boys and their soccer coach from a flooded cave in northern Thailand last year has died from a blood infection he contracted during the operation.

Petty Officer 1st Class Bayroot Pakbara was receiving treatment but his condition worsened after the infection spread into his blood, the Royal Thai Navy announced on its Facebook page on Friday.

Another rescuer, former navy diver Sergeant Saman Kuman, died during the rescue operation.

Beiret Bureerak, a Thai navy SEAL who took part in the cave rescue of 12 boys and their soccer coach, has died from an infection he picked up at the timehttps://t.co/fj5ubmbNPy

— SBS News (@SBSNews) December 27, 2019

According to the Bangkok Post daily, Pakbara was buried Friday at the Talosai mosque in southern Satun province.

Local media quoted his mother as saying her son had been in and out of the hospital since the cave rescue.

Wild Boars Academy’s coach Ekapol Chanthawong and 12 boys had gone to explore the Tham Luang caves in Chiang Rai province on June 23, 2018, when a rainy-season downpour flooded the cave system and trapped them underground.

The 12 boys and their coach were part of the Wild Boars soccer team.

They survived for nine days on water dripping from rocks before they were discovered.

Volunteers from abroad, including Australia, joined the rescue effort, which ended on July 10 when the boys and their coach were all brought out safely.

The operation to save 12 Thai boys and their coach gripped the world. Photo: AAP