American Mark Dickey is rescued nine days after becoming trapped 3,400ft down in Turkish cave – latest

Mark Dickey has emerged from a Turkish cave after a successful three-day rescue operation by teams from all over Europe to carry him out of one of the deepest caves in the world . An international team of cave rescuers successfully brought Mr Dickey from 3,400 feet (1,036 metres) in the cave to safety at 12.37am on Tuesday local time, after a challenging operation that began on Saturday. ‘Mark Dickey was removed from the last exit of the cave at 00:37 and taken to the UMKE tent. Thus, the cave rescue part of the operation has ended successfully. We congratulate all those who have contributed!’ Turkish rescuers stated on X. More than 150 cave rescuers joined forces to safely extract Mr Dickey, 40, from the complex Morca cave system. Mr Dickey, a well-known speleologist and cave rescuer himself, became trapped on Saturday 2 September after suddenly suffering from gastrointestinal bleeding while on an expedition. His condition worsened quickly, making him unable to move and requiring a doctor to go down into the cave to administer vials of blood to keep him stabilised. For days, rescuers were unsure if Mr Dickey would be strong enough to be rescued to the surface, but his condition began improving on Wednesday. Key Points Rescue operation to save American trapped in Turkish cave underway Dickey’s condition ‘continues to improve’ Here’s what we know about the cave rescue mission so far A look into the dark depths of the Morca cave Mark Dickey’s fiance assists with rescue effort to save stranded caver 00:00 , Ariana Baio The fiance of a caver who fell ill on an expedition in Turkey is assisting with a massive rescue effort to save him. 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. Bevan Hurley reports: Mark Dickey’s fiance assists with rescue effort to save stranded caver Caver to be taken to hospital by helicopter 23:41 , Graeme Massie Mark Dickey will be taken by helicopter to a hospital in Mersin, say officials. ‘He seems fine at first look,’ Recep Salci of Turkey’s disaster and emergency management authority (AFAD) said on Tuesday. 22:56 , Graeme Massie The 40-year-old American embarked on an expedition mission to map out one of the deepest cave systems in the world – in the Morca cave in Mersin province’s Taurus mountains on 2 September. Latest pictures as cave rescue nears the surface 22:45 , Graeme Massie Members of the CNSAS, Italian alpine and speleological rescuers, carry a stretcher with American researcher Mark Dickey during a rescue operation in the Morca cave, near Anamur, southern Turkey, Monday, Sept. 11, 2023. (AP) Members of the CNSAS, Italian alpine and speleological rescuers, carry a stretcher with American researcher Mark Dickey during a rescue operation in the Morca cave, near Anamur, southern Turkey, Monday, Sept. 11, 2023. (AP) What the final stage of the mission looks like 22:30 , Ariana Baio The final stage of Mark Dickey’s rescue evacuation from the Morca cave (European Cave Rescue Association (ECRA)) Rescuers in process of dismantling rope installations 22:00 , Ariana Baio As cave rescuers work to bring Mark Dickey to the surface, others are cleaning up after themselves and dismantling the rope installations they created in order to bring Mr Dickey up on a stretcher. The European Cave Rescue Association (ECRA) said that Mr Dickey’s medical condition remained unchanged – stable but still delicate due to the gastrointestinal bleeding. Mr Dickey is being lifted out of the depths of the cave via a stretcher which required much preparation by the teams to ensure no rocks fell and it remained sturdy. ‘Rescuers below the stretcher party continue their work to dismantle the rope installations,’ the ECRA wrote on Monday afternoon. ‘All cave rescuers remain fit and well. The whole caving community anxiously awaits the appearance of the casualty at the surface!’ Six international rescue team assisting in rescue 21:20 , Ariana Baio Six rescue teams from different countries apart of the European Cave Rescue Association (ECRA) are working together to try to rescue American Mark Dickey from the Morca cave in Turkey. At 3,400 feet, it will be incredibly difficult to get Mr Dickey, safely, out of the cave. To make it easier, the ECRA is going to split seven parts of the cave up among the six teams. Each time will find solutions to conduct the rescue operation at a set number of feet. The Bulgarian cave rescue team will first find a way to get Mr Dickey from 3,412 feet (where he is now) to 2,953 feet. From there, the Croatian rescue team will get Mr Dickey to 2,345 feet. Then the Italian rescue team will get Mr Dickey to 1,640 feet. After that the Polish rescue team will take over to help Mr Dickey reach 1,181 feet. Then the Hungarian team will assist in reaching 590 feet. Finally, the Turkish team will help get Mr Dickey out of the cave and to the surface so he can reach proper medical care. Mark Dickey at 328 feet – expected to be rescued tonight 20:42 , Ariana Baio The Speleological Federation of Turkey wrote on X that Mark Dickey had made it to the 328 feet (100 metres) point as of Monday afternoon. This is the last section of the cave before Mr Dickey can be returned to the surface and seek medical attention. ‘Mark is in the last 100 meters. Crews continue to work to have him [sic] out tonight,’ the organisation wrote. Where is Mark Dickey in the Morca cave? 20:00 , Ariana Baio At the moment, Mark Dickey, is at the 590 feet (180 metre) mark below the surface. This is the last leg of the cave that Mr Dickey and the team need to get over before he can be evacuated and seek medical attention for the gastrointestinal bleeding he faced last week. An image depicting the vertical depth of the cave where Mark Dickey is (Turkish Caving Federation) Catch up with the story 19:00 , Ariana Baio Rescue teams began the challenging process on Saturday of extricating Mark Dickey, who became seriously ill while he was exploring the Morca cave near Anamur in the south of Turkey last week. Maanya Sachdeva reports: 18:30 , Ariana Baio 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 field itself is quite niche and oftentimes when cave explorers do go on an expedition, it can take hours or even days. In Photos: Rescue mission underway 18:00 , Ariana Baio Members of the CNSAS, Italian alpine and speleological rescuers, start to descent on ropes the Morca cave during a rescue operation near Anamur, south Turkey, Monday, Sept. 11, 2023. (AP) Members of the CNSAS, Italian alpine and speleological rescuers, start to descent on ropes the Morca cave during a rescue operation near Anamur, south Turkey, Monday, Sept. 11, 2023 (AP) Fundraiser for Mark Dickey nears $60K 17:30 , Ariana Baio As rescuers work to free Mark Dickey from the Morca cave in Turkey, a fundraiser for the efforts is nearing the $60,000 mark. Mr Dickey is currently on the last leg of the rescue mission before he reaches the surface, the Speleological Federation of Turkey said on X. ‘Many thanks to everyone who is contributing to Mark Dickey’s rescue from Morca! The last cave rescue of this scale (Riesending, 2014) required 700 rescuers over the course of 2 weeks and cost approximately 960,000 Euros (about $1 million). This GoFundMe is currently set to $100,000 and this will only be a start for the expenses. The funding will be put to good use towards the travel, food, gear and supplies that the rescuers have needed. This is a complex and expensive operation and your contributions to this effort are making a good impact towards supporting those involved!’ The GoFundMe says. At 590 feet, Mark Dickey is resting 17:00 , Ariana Baio The Speleological Federation of Turkey announced that American explorer Mark Dickey is now resting after reaching 590 feet (180 metres). It is unclear how long Mr Dickey will be resting for but the next part up will be to the surface. Late-stage evacuation in progress 16:00 , Ariana Baio 15:00 , Joe Sommerlad 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. Faiza Saqib has more. Mark Dickey’s fiance assists with rescue effort to save stranded caver 14:00 , Joe Sommerlad The fiance of a caver who fell ill on an expedition in Turkey is assisting with a massive rescue effort to save him. 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. Mark Dickey’s fiance assists with rescue effort to save stranded caver Rescuers stress need for caution: ‘We must pay attention metre after metre’ 13:00 , Joe Sommerlad More than 150 rescuers from Turkey and other countries have been working for days to rescue Mr Dickey from the country’s third deepest cave. Speaking on Sunday, European Cave Rescue Association technical commission chairperson Guiseppe Conti told reporters: ‘Our medical team is working really hard to try to keep Mark’s condition as stable as possible. Since yesterday, we started lifting the stretcher and transporting him through the cave. ‘We have to do it very carefully because we cannot risk any conditions worsening [for] Mark. So we must pay attention metre after metre. Currently, the stretcher is about… 500 metres from the surface.’ Since then, the rescuers have brought Mr Dickey another 200 metres closer to daylight. Dickey 180 metres from surface and could be rescued ‘tonight or tomorrow’ 12:00 , Joe Sommerlad Here’s some great news from the Turkish Caving Federation: Turkish officials says Dickey could be free in matter of days 11:30 , Joe Sommerlad Cenk Yildiz, Mersin provincial head of Turkey’s AFAD disaster management authority, said that Mark Dickey is on course to be brought out of the cave by rescuers in two to three days ‘if they don’t experience any problems’. His colleague Tulga Sener, medical coordinator for the cave rescue commission, added: ‘A medical doctor will accompany him the whole way. Right now, Italian doctors are accompanying him along the route. Mark’s medical condition right now is very good.’ Who is Mark Dickey? 10:30 , Joe Sommerlad 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. He helped rescue people from caves. Now he’s stuck in one of the world’s deepest New Jersey governor ‘in touch’ with Turkey over rescue 09:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar New Jersey governor Phil Murphy said he was in contact with Turkish officials regarding the rescue operation of caver Mark Dickey, who fell ill inside the Morca cave. Mr Dickey is a local caver who leads the New Jersey Initial Response Team in Sussex County, the governor said on X, formerly known as Twitter. ‘We are grateful to the Turkish military and first responders leading the rescue effort,’ he added. Rescue teams yesterday successfully carried Mr Dickey up from a depth of 3,410 feet (1,040m), and he is now about halfway to the surface. Mark Dickey about to reach 300 metres from surface 09:02 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar American caver Mark Dickey is about to reach -300, the Turkish Caving Federation said today on social media X. Race against time to save American caver 09:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Mark Dickey is seen in Morca Cave, days before he fell ill (REUTERS) Rescuers reach the halfway mark 08:30 , Bevan Hurley A rescue operation to save stricken caver Mark Dickey from a 1,000m-deep cave had reached the halfway mark by Sunday afternoon. ‘The stretchered patient arrived at the -500 m bivouac at 19:00h CEST (4pmET). The medical status of the casualty is stable,’ the European Cave Rescue Association announced on Sunday afternoon. ‘The next planned stop is at -300 m. The members of the different rescue teams are in a good physical condition.’ Mark Dickey’s fiance assists with rescue effort 08:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar The fiance of a caver who fell ill on an expedition in Turkey is assisting with a massive rescue effort to save him. 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. Bevan Hurley has more. Mark Dickey’s fiance assists with rescue effort to save stranded caver Explosives used to widen narrow parts of Morca cave 07:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar Search and rescue officials have used explosives to blast open the narrowest parts of a cave in Turkey to allow a stretcher to pass in an effort to save an ill American explorer. Mark Dickey fell sick inside the Morca cave – located in the Taurus Mountains, South Turkey, that runs to a depth of 1,276 metres, according to the country’s caving federation. The cave is mostly wet and cold and includes tight passages in both vertical and horizontal sections, making it difficult for the rescuers to bring out the speleologist. Apart from small explosives, rock hammers were also being used by rescuers to make way for a stretcher to ensure Mr Dick