Rescued US scientist ‘in good health’ after being trapped in Turkish cave for 9 days

Ankara, Sep 12 (EFE).- A cave expert from the United States who spent nine days trapped underground after falling ill is in “good health”, Turkish rescue workers said Tuesday.

An international team of rescue workers concluded a complex, days-long operation to save Mark Dickey, who was stuck at a depth of over 1,000 meters after developing stomach issues, shortly after midnight.

Dickey, 40, is in “good health,” Recep Salci of the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said Tuesday after successfully wrapping up the operation in Morca Cave in Turkey’s southern province of Mersin.

“I was underground much longer than expected with an unexpected medical issue,” Dickey said after thanking his rescuers.

“The quick response by the Turkish government to get the medical supplies that I needed in my opinion saved my life. I was very close to the edge,” he added.

After the necessary medical checks and treatment at two stations set up inside the cave, the third deepest in Turkey, the cave expert was stretchered out of the cave through narrow passages, some of which had to be widened.

A total of 196 specialists from eight countries, including Turkey, took part in the rescue effort, which Salci described as the world’s most comprehensive cave rescue operation to date.

Rescuers had to give Dickey blood transfusions at a depth of 1,400 meters and wait for him to respond positively to the treatment and get to his feet before starting the arduous operation to bring him to the surface.

Morca Cave, the third deepest and sixth longest cave in Turkey, is of particular interest to scientists because of its special structure.

Temperatures inside can drop as low as 4 degrees Celsius and previous explorations have found lakes at a depth of 1,274 meters.

Dickey and his team, which included his fiancée, a professional cave explorer, aimed to make a scientific discovery at Morca, finding and mapping a new deep passageway and recording new endemic species. EFE

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