American Caver Surfaces From Turkish Cave After 10-Day Rescue

Italian Alpine rescuers (CNSAS) carry U.S. caver Mark Dickey on stretcher as part of a rescue operation in Morca Cave in Mersin province, southern Turkey, on Sept. 11, 2023. Italian Alpine Rescue/Handout via Reuters

American cave explorer Mark Dickey surfaced after a health scare while exploring a Turkish cave on Tuesday, after more than a week of being trapped 1,000 meters (over 3,000 feet) below ground.

Mr. Dickey, 40, was safely extracted from Morca Cave in Turkey at around 12:37 a.m. local time on Sept. 12, the Turkish Caving Federation said. He was transported to the hospital an hour later by helicopter.

“Thus, the cave rescue part of the operation has ended successfully. We congratulate all those who have contributed!” the Turkish Caving Federation stated on X, formerly known as Twitter.

His rescue came more than a week after Mr. Dickey fell ill with gastrointestinal bleeding on Sept. 2 while exploring the Morca cave in southern Turkey, one of the deepest caves in the world. He became too frail to climb out himself.

Lying on a stretcher surrounded by reporters following his rescue, Mr. Dickey described the ordeal as a “crazy, crazy adventure.”

The experienced caver said that at one point, he thought he was “not going to live” after he started throwing up large volumes of blood.

“My consciousness started to get harder to hold on to,” he explained.

Mr. Dickey was first treated inside the cave by a Hungarian doctor who went down into cave on Sept. 3. Doctors and rescuers then took turns caring for him. The cause of his illness was not clear.

The rescue operation started in earnest on Saturday afternoon after doctors, paramedics, and experienced cavers from all across Europe rushed to the cave to provide assistance. They set up small medical base camps at various levels along the shaft to check on Mr. Dickey as he was carried on a stretcher along the slow and arduous extrication.

“It is amazing to be above ground again,” he said, thanking the Turkish government for saving his life with its rapid response. He also thanked the international caving community, Turkish cavers, and Hungarian Cave Rescue, among others.

Mr. Dickey is a highly trained caver and a cave rescuer himself who had participated in many international expeditions. He is also a well-known figure in the international speleological community.

His parents expressed immense relief and joy over their son’s rescue, extending their heartfelt gratitude for the “tremendous outpouring of help” provided throughout the rescue operation.

“Mark is strong and we believe in his strength but fully knew that he was in dire need of tremendous and immediate support,” they told reporters, according to CNN.

Video footage shows American cave-explorer Mark Dickey lying inside cave receiving medical attention. Reuters/Screenshot via NTD

Mr. Dickey and several others were at Morca cave on an expedition to map the 1,276-meter (4,186-foot) deep cave system for the Anatolian Speleology Group Association.

The European Cave Rescue Association (ECRA) said that many cave rescuers remain in the cave to remove substantial amounts of rope and rescue equipment used during the operation. This process could take at least one more day to complete.

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 Mr. Dickey’s side at all times.

The biggest challenge for the rescuers getting him out of the cave 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.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.