An American is rescued after being trapped in a cave in Turkey for twelve days

In a thrilling rescue operation that kept the world in suspense for more than a week, an international team of rescuers successfully pulled American speleologist Mark Dickey from the depths of Morca Cave in the Taurus Mountains of southern Turkey. . Dickey, 40, a native of New Jersey (USA), had become seriously ill about 1,300 meters below the entrance to the cave and his life was in serious danger, according to the New Jersey Initial Response Team (NJIRT) which is the team of rescue volunteers he leads.

“Dickey was taken out of the last exit of the cave. The rescue operation was completed successfully,” the Turkish Speleological Federation (TUMAF) reported late on Monday, marking the end of a harrowing odyssey that began on August 31, when Dickey, an experienced caver on an expedition to map the cave suffered a stomach hemorrhage. “The cave is very deep, wet and cold, and it takes eight hours for experienced cavers who know it to reach the place where Mark is,” read the press release from his team issued on September 7. Furthermore, this cave is considered the third deepest in Türkiye.

The rescue effort involved 190 people from eight different countries – Turkey, Croatia, Italy, USA, Hungary, Poland, Bulgaria and Greece – including 153 search and rescue experts, who quickly mobilized to the Taurus Mountains. to help Dickey. “I appreciate the quick response of the Turkish government and military,” the American said shortly after the rescue. “They saved my life,” he added. Due to his fragile health, the American caver could not get out on his own, so rescuers used a special stretcher to carry him through narrow and difficult passages in the cave, making frequent stops at temporary camps – about 700 meters away. meters from the surface – to provide medical care, as detailed by the agency AFP.

The rescue efforts were complicated when the telephone lines in the cave stopped working on the third day, so communication between the surface and Dickey’s situation was “extremely slow” until the intervention of the Turkish army, which was able to replace the cables. “We congratulate everyone who made his contribution. It has not been easy,” said the Turkish Caving Federation.

The first medical attention that Dickey received inside the cave was provided by a Hungarian doctor who descended to the site on September 3. From then on, doctors and rescuers took turns caring for him while the complex rescue operation was carried out. Turkish health services have launched an investigation to determine what caused the American’s dramatic collapse, according to the agency. Reuters.

Mark Dickey’s recovery is still uncertain, and is expected to take time. “In general he is in good health. He is fed with liquids,” Cenk Yildiz, medical chief of the Turkish emergency team, who is treating the American and who will be transferred by helicopter to the nearest hospital this Tuesday, told the local press. It is expected that his recovery process may take up to 10 days, depending on his health.

According to the European Cave Rescue Association (ECRA), Mark Dickey is an experienced caver with medical training and is a leading figure in the international caving community. In addition to his activities as a caver, he also serves as secretary of the ECRA medical committee and is an instructor in cave rescue organizations in the US.