A major rescue operation to reach a caver trapped thousands of feet underground after becoming seriously ill on an exploration mission will be “difficult” and could take days, experts have warned.
Mark Dickey, 40, suffered gastrointestinal bleeding inside the Morca Cave in southern Turkey, which is around 4,100ft (1,276m) deep, on Saturday.
The US national fell ill close to the bottom of the crevice at 3,670ft (1,120m) and was later moved to a campsite at a 3,400ft (1,040m) depth.
Medics said Mr Dickey was unable to climb out unaided, with a “long and challenging” rescue operation launched to carry him out on a stretcher.
Mr Dickey has his fiancée and fellow caver, Jessica, at his side, according to a statement by his parents, Andrew and Deborah Ann Dickey.
It takes around 15 hours for an experienced caver to reach the surface of the Turkish cave – which includes narrow winding passages and several rappels (rope descents down very steep slopes) in ideal conditions.
The international rescue effort is said to be one of the largest cave rescue operations in the world, both logistically and technically.
It involves around 150 people from across Europe including Italy, Hungary, Croatia, and Bulgaria.
‘Complex and lengthy’ operation to save fellow caver
Units of blood have been delivered to Mr Dickey to help treat his bleeding.
He is himself an instructor with the US National Cave Rescue Commission (NCRC), who is highly regarded in the international speleological (the study of cave exploration) community and has previously taken part in rescue missions.
He was co-leading an expedition to find and map a new passage in the Turkish cave, the third deepest in the country, when he fell ill.
In an update on Wednesday night, the Turkish cave experts leading the rescue operation said Mr Dickey’s condition is becoming more stable and his bleeding has stopped.
He can now walk with help but it is still not possible to get him out without a stretcher, rescuers said.
“The teams are continuing to set up rope lines inside the cave to remove the stretcher,” the update, posted at 10.30pm local time (8.30pm GMT), said.
“The removal of Mark is expected to begin in the next few hours.”
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Rescue teams at the mouth of the Morca Cave
A helicopter pictured close to the entrance to Morca Cave
‘Devastatingly scary situation’
Sky News’ US partner, NBC News, reports that Mr Dickey’s family said in a statement: “Mark is strong, but he needed his fellow cavers, including, of course, the doctors, to allow a devastatingly scary situation to turn positive.
“Our prayers are being answered and we cannot express how much that means, and will always mean, to us.”
A fundraising campaign has also been launched by the NCRC to raise money for the efforts to rescue Mr Dickey, which has so far raised $41,000 of its $100,000 target.
