An American researcher is in good condition after being rescued from a deep cave in Turkey, describing the experience as a ‘wild adventure’.
ISTANBUL — An American researcher was “doing well” at a Turkish hospital, officials said Tuesday, after rescuers pulled him out of a cave where he fell seriously ill and became trapped 1,000 meters (more than 3,000 feet) below its entrance for over a week.
Mark Dickey, a seasoned caver aged 40, was greeted with applause and cheers from rescuers hailing from Turkey and various European countries. He emerged from Morca cave in the Taurus Mountains of southern Turkey at 12:37 a.m. on Tuesday, securely fastened to a stretcher. Shortly after, he was swiftly transported to the hospital in the nearby city of Mersin via helicopter.
On September 2, Dickey became unwell due to stomach bleeding. The cause of his condition remained unknown.
After being saved, he was lying on the stretcher with reporters around him and referred to his nine-day experience as an incredibly wild adventure.
“I am thrilled to be back on the surface,” he expressed. Dickey, a renowned explorer of caves and a rescuer with extensive experience in global expeditions, expressed gratitude towards the international community of cavers, Turkish cavers, and the Hungarian Cave Rescue, among others.
Dickey, who is from Croton-on-Hudson, New York, was part of an expedition to map the Morca Cave, Turkey’s third deepest, when he became sick. As he was too frail to climb out himself, cave rescue teams from Europe scrambled to help save him, mounting a challenging operation that involved pulling him up the cave’s steep vertical sections and navigating through mud and water at low temperatures in the horizontal sections.
Photos have been released showing an American researcher who has been successfully rescued from a deep cave in Turkey. The researcher described the experience as a ‘crazy adventure’.
Before the operation could commence, the rescuers needed to expand certain tight passages within the cave, secure ropes to hoist him up through vertical shafts on a stretcher, and establish temporary camps along the route.
“I cannot reword”
When asked if he thinks Dickey would go caving again, Heitmeyer replied, “I hope his mom isn’t watching, but I would wager on it.”
Dr. Zsofia Zador, a passionate caving enthusiast and medical rescuer from the Hungarian rescue team, was one of the first individuals to provide medical assistance to Dickey while inside the cave.
Zador, an anesthesiologist and intensive care specialist from Budapest, was on her way to the hospital to start her early morning shift on Sept. 2, when she got news of Dickey’s condition.
She swiftly organized for a coworker to cover her work shift and hurriedly collected her equipment for caving and medical purposes. She then boarded a plane to Turkey to join the rescue operation, as she informed The Associated Press over the phone from the camp located near the cave’s entrance.
When asked about Dickey’s response upon seeing her in the cave, she mentioned that he felt relieved and hopeful. She added that he was genuinely happy and emphasized that they have a strong friendship.
Zador mentioned that Dickey was experiencing hypovolemia, which refers to a decrease in fluid and blood volume. However, Zador stated that Dickey’s condition had stabilized by the time she arrived because the paramedics had provided him with effective treatment.
“It was a challenging situation as there were moments when he appeared to be stable and capable of getting out on his own, but there was a possibility of him deteriorating again,” she explained. “Fortunately, he remained conscious throughout and managed to handle the situation.”
Around 190 experts from Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, Poland and Turkey took part in the rescue, including doctors, paramedics and experienced cavers. Teams comprised of a doctor and three to four other rescuers took turns staying by his side at all times.
Zador mentioned that she had participated in previous cave rescues, but Dickey’s rescue was the most extensive one she had encountered.
After being rescued, Dickey mentioned that he began to vomit significant amounts of blood while inside the cave.
He informed reporters that his consciousness became increasingly difficult to maintain, and he eventually reached a point where he believed he would not survive.
The Mersin governor’s office stated that Dickey’s overall health condition was satisfactory, but did not provide any additional information.
The Italian National Alpine and Speleological Corps reported that it took a team of over 100 rescuers from approximately 10 counties a total of 60 hours to carry out the rescue operation. They also mentioned that Mark Dickey spent approximately 500 hours inside the cave.
