Rescuers pulled an American researcher out of a Turkish cave on Monday, more than a week after he became seriously ill 1,000 meters (more than 3,000 feet) below its entrance, said the Speleological Federation of Turkey.
Teams from across Europe had rushed to Morca cave in southern Turkey’s Taurus Mountains to aid Mark Dickey, a 40-year-old experienced caver who became seriously ill on Sept. 2 with stomach bleeding. He was on an expedition to map the cave, which is the country’s third deepest, reports AlArabia English News service.
Dickey was too frail to climb out himself, so rescuers carried him with the help of a stretcher, making frequent stops at temporary camps set up along the way.
“Mark Dickey is out of the Morca cave. He is fine and is being tended to by emergency medical worker in the encampment above,” said a statement by the speleological federation on Monday. “Thus, the cave rescue part of the operation has ended successfully. We congratulate all those who have contributed!”
A statement from Mark’s parents, Debbie and Andy Dickey, said the fact that their son “has been moved out of Morca Cave in stable condition is indescribably relieving and fills us with incredible joy.”
The American was first treated inside the cave by a Hungarian doctor who went down the cave on Sept. 3. Doctors and rescuers then took turns caring for him. The cause of Dickey’s illness was not clear.
The biggest challenges for the rescuers were the steep vertical sections and navigating through mud and water at low temperatures in the horizontal sections. There was also the psychological toll of staying inside a dark, damp cave for extended periods of time.
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.
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