Intensive rescue operation underway to save ill speleologist in Turkey

In a challenging race against time, an international team of more than 150 rescuers battle to save an American researcher, Mark Dickey, trapped inside Turkey’s Morca Sinkhole, the country’s third-deepest cave. The Turkish Caving Federation announced that Dickey became ill at a depth of nearly 3,675 feet during an exploration mission with local and global teams. It is currently under observation at a base camp located 3,412 feet inside the cave.

According to Bulent Genc, ​​head of the Turkish Speleology Federation, the complexity of the cave, marked by its depth and narrowness, means that the rescue will take several days. Dickey will need to be moved gradually, potentially on a stretcher.

Rescue specialists from countries such as Hungary, Italy, Croatia and the USA have come forward to support this difficult operation. The Hungarian Cave Rescue Service has revealed that Dickey is battling gastrointestinal bleeding. Fortunately, the patient’s condition appears to be stable at this time, with the ability to walk without assistance.

Sailing the Morca Sinkhole is not for the faint of heart; It takes an experienced caver about 15 hours to ascend to the surface under ideal circumstances. Highlighting the treacherous nature of the mission, the European Cave Rescue Association (ECRA), which is also involved, described these deep cave rescue operations as “extremely rare and difficult”, requiring the expertise of ‘experienced speleologists.

To provide an insight into the gravity of the situation: ECRA detailed that on Sunday, the Hungarian Cave Rescue Service, with a medical professional, went into the depths to provide critical medical assistance. By Monday, 17 additional rescuers, including medical professionals from Bulgaria, had reached the base of the cave. On Wednesday, more teams from Italy, Croatia and Poland were en route.

The global rescue community watches with bated breath, waiting for a successful and safe extraction of Dickey.

This article is sourced from and written by AI.

Track and stay informed about AI-generated news: