An American man got sick while exploring a very deep cave in Turkey. He said he is feeling okay, while rescuers are working hard to bring him back to the surface.
According to the Turkish Caving Federation, Mark Dickey got sick over the weekend while exploring the Morca Sinkhole in southern Turkey. Doctors think he might have bleeding in his stomach.
Dickey got sick 1,120 meters below the surface and was taken to the camp at 1,040 meters for monitoring. The federation said this on Twitter and mentioned that about 150 rescuers are working on a difficult operation to save him.
In a video posted by Turkey’s communication agency on Wednesday, Dickey said that he was in a dangerous situation but the fast actions of Turkish authorities probably saved his life.
As you can tell, I am awake, wide awake, and speaking. “But I haven’t healed emotionally yet, so I will need a lot of support to leave this place,” he said, expressing gratitude for the caving community.
This is a chance for people in the caving community to demonstrate how well people from different countries can collaborate. I want to see lots of people from different countries coming together. We look after our own people. “And it feels great to have someone taking care of you. ”
The rescue mission, which was first talked about on Monday, might take several days because the cave is deep and narrow, according to Bulent Genc, who leads the federation. Genc told CNN on Thursday that even in perfect conditions, it could take an experienced caver 15 hours to reach the surface.
A difficult rescue mission is happening deep underwater. The European Cave Rescue Association is helping and they said that it is not common to have rescues like this. They need to have experienced rescuers to help with the mission. They found out on Saturday that Dickey has bad stomach pain.
Gretchen Baker, who works with the National Cave Rescue Commission and has known Dickey for a while, has been talking to the rescue team. She is somewhat hopeful that Dickey will be able to come out of the cave safely.
During an interview with CNN’s Isa Soares on Thursday, Baker said that the people at the location are glad to see that Mark’s condition is getting better. It seems that he won’t have to be carried out on a rescue stretcher the entire way.
She said that if he can help more, the rescue will be faster.
Despite Dickey’s getting better, Baker said that even with his help, the rescue operation still has a long way to go.
“She said it will take several days to rescue him from the cave. ”
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US citizen trapped in Turkish cave says he is well as rescue efforts go on
