On Thursday, a significant rescue effort involving over 150 rescuers was initiated to reach an American man who encountered a medical emergency and became trapped approximately 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) underground in a cave he was exploring in the southern region of Turkey.
Mark Dickey, aged 40, was participating in an international exploration mission within the Morca cave situated in the Taurus mountains when he started experiencing gastrointestinal bleeding, as reported by Turkey's TUMAF caving federation.
According to Bulent Genc, the head of TUMAF, "Several international teams, including Croats and Italians, are contributing to the rescue efforts. The individual is located approximately 1,000 meters deep, and they are segmenting the ascent into seven sections."
Genc went on to mention that the estimated duration for the rescue operations is around 10 days, though it may vary based on the progression of Dickey's condition. He noted that Dickey's health had seen improvement, allowing him to stand independently.
TUMAF reported the establishment of a phone line reaching a depth of 1,040 meters and the Croatian rescue teams setting up an additional communication system known as "CaveLink" as a backup measure.
The decision regarding the feasibility of extracting Dickey without the use of a stretcher would be determined by medical professionals on-site.
Footage from the rescue mission captured scenes of Turkish and international teams arranging tents and cables near the sinkhole, which is the third-largest in Turkey and situated at an elevation of 2,140 meters (7,020 feet).
