American explorer trapped in Turkey cave now halfway to escape as rescue continues – latest
Trapped American explorer sends video message from inside Turkish cave
Rescue teams in Turkey have successfully carried American researcher Mark Dickey up from the depth of a cave at 3,410 feet (1,040m) halfway to the surface.
“Mark is now at -500 meters as of 19:08, local time (GMT +3). Half of the rescue distance is over,” the Speleogical Federation of Turkey posted in an update on Sunday.
The well-known speleologist became trapped inside the Morca cave last Saturday, after suffering from bleeding in the digestive tract.
An international team of cave rescuers and medical personnel had been working to stabilise the cave expert before launching the operation,
Rescue teams are using explosives to blast open passages of the cave to safely extract Mr Dickey via a stretcher.
Earlier, it was estimated that the “difficult operation” would last at least three-four days, with an official from Turkey’s disaster relief agency noting it would take a healthy person 16 hours to exit.
“Our medical team is working really hard to try to keep Mark’s condition as stable as possible,” European Cave Rescue Association official Giuseppe Conti said on Sunday.
Who is Mark Dickey?
Mark Dickey, 40, is an experienced caver who embarked on an expedition mission to map one of the deepest caves in the world – the Morca cave system in southern Turkey.
Hailing from Croton-on-Hudson, New York, Mr Dickey is a highly-trained caver, cave rescuer himself and well-known in the international speleological (cave expert) community, according to the European Cave Rescue Association (ECRA).
His resume of cave explorations and expert status is endless: secretary of the ECRA medical committee, lead instructor for Caving Academy, a US-based organisation that prepares other cavers for exploration and a national instructor for the National Cave Rescue Commission.
He also volunteers with the New Jersey Initial Response Team, a nonprofit search-and-rescue team.
Ariana Baio has more.
What is a speleologist?
In simple terms, a Speleologist studies all aspects of caves including their geology, biology, hydrology, and history, according to Start Caving.com.
Speleologists often research how the cave is formed and how It changes – this is known as speleogenesis and speleomorphology.
“Speleology is an interdisciplinary field that combines a lot of scientific skills,” Start Caving says.
The Independent’s Faiza Saqib has more.
What is a speleologist?
The Cave Exploration Society says Morca cave is the 74th deepest cave in the world and the third deepest in Turkey – here’s everything you need to know about Speleology
Mark Dickey’s fianc? assists with rescue effort to save stranded caver
Mark Dickey’s partner and fellow caver Jessica Van Ord was with him when he began suffering gastrointestinal bleeding more than 1,000m below ground in the Morca cave complex on 2 September, according to Reuters.
Ms Van Ord remained by Mr Dickey’s side as an Italian rescue team with medical personnel reached the 40-year-old New Yorker and gave him IV fluids and blood inside the cave.
She has been staying at a base camp near the mouth of the cave, and working with the 150-strong team of cavers who have travelled to Turkey to help bring Mr Dickey out by stretcher.
Rescuers reach halfway mark
Rescue teams in Turkey have successfully carried American researcher Mark Dickey up from the depth of a cave at 3,410 feet (1,040m) halfway to the surface.
“Mark is now at -500 meters as of 19:08, local time (GMT +3). Half of the rescue distance is over,” the Speleogical Federation of Turkey posted in an update on Sunday.
“Our medical team is working really hard to try to keep Mark’s condition as stable as possible,” European Cave Rescue Association official Giuseppe Conti said on Sunday.
Mark Dickey rescue in photos
A rescue effort is underway to bring stranded US researcher Mark Dickey to safety from one of the deepest caves in Turkey.
Here are a few of the dramatic images to emerge from the early stages of the mission.
A medical team takes care of American caver Mark Dickey, center, 40, inside the Morca cave near Anamur, southern Turkey,…
A stretcher is seen in front of a tent at the base camp for international rescuers near the Morca Cave
A rescuer is seen at the entrance of Morca Cave, as they take part in a rescue operation to reach U.S. caver Mark Dickey.
How will American cave explorer be rescued?
An operation to rescue Mark Dickey has brought the American researcher up to a depth of 2,300-feet (700m) below the ground.
A team consisting of doctors, paramedics and experienced cavers began to bring Mr Dickey back to the surface after he fell ill in the Turkish cave began on Saturday afternoon.
“Mark was delivered to the campsite at -700 meters as of 03:24 local time (GMT+3). At this stage, he will set out again after resting and having the necessary treatments,” the Speleological Federation of Turkey wrote on its official account on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The rescue team set off on the next leg of the mission to bring Mr Dickey to 500m below ground level on Sunday morning.
Rescue mission to save stricken cave researcher reaches 700m
Rescue teams on Sunday in Turkey successfully carried an American researcher up from the depth of a cave at 1040 meters (3412.07 feet) to the 700-meter (2296.59 feet) mark, according to an Associated Press report on Sunday.
The rescuers will rest at a camp at that depth before they continue the taxing journey to the surface, the AP wrote.
The team of experienced cavers and medics have set up base camps at various levels along the shaft, providing Dickey an opportunity to rest during the slow and arduous extrication.
Full story below.
What is a speleologist?
In simple terms, a Speleologist studies all aspects of caves including their geology, biology, hydrology, and history, according to Start Caving.com.
Speleologists often research how the cave is formed and how It changes – this is known as speleogenesis and speleomorphology.
“Speleology is an interdisciplinary field that combines a lot of scientific skills,” Start Caving says.
The Independent’s Faiza Saqib has more.
What is a speleologist?
The Cave Exploration Society says Morca cave is the 74th deepest cave in the world and the third deepest in Turkey – here’s everything you need to know about Speleology
Evacuation underway for US researcher Mark Dickey
Rescue teams have begun a rescue mission for US researcher Mark Dickey who became seriously ill while he was 1,000 meters (3,000 feet) below the entrance of a cave in Turkey, officials say.
“This afternoon, the operation to move him from his camp at 1040 meters to the camp at 700 meters began,” Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Directorate, AFAD, told The Associated Press.
The mission is expected to take three to four days.
The 40-year-old experienced caver began vomiting on Sept. 2 because of stomach bleeding while on an expedition with a handful of others in the Morca cave in southern Turkey’s Taurus Mountains.
190 rescuers
Turkish authorities said there are 190 personnel from eight countries taking part in the rescue of Mark Dickey, 153 of them search and rescue experts.
The most challenging part of the rescue operation is widening the narrow cave passages to allow stretcher lines to pass through at low depths, Yusuf Ogrenecek of the speleological federation said.
The extraction is expected to take up to 10 days depending on Mr Dickey’s condition.