A massive rescue operation is currently underway in Türkiye, where American speleologist Mark Dickey finds himself trapped deep inside Morca cave, over 3,200 feet from its entrance.
The 40-year-old explorer fell ill and began experiencing gastrointestinal bleeding during an expedition in Morca cave, situated in Türkiye's Taurus Mountains. The European Cave Rescue Association reported that Mark Dickey was last known to be around 3,400 feet into the cave, which ranks as the third deepest in Türkiye.
Mark Dickey, who serves as the secretary of the association's medical committee, is a highly skilled caver and cave rescuer with extensive international expedition experience. He is also an instructor at the National Cave Rescue Commission (NCRC), as indicated on his social media profiles. Dickey's expedition was focused on mapping the Morca cave system for the Anatolian Speleology Group Association (ASPEG).
According to the New Jersey Initial Response Team, a local volunteer group specializing in cave and mine rescue, Mark Dickey's condition deteriorated rapidly, with severe bleeding and vomiting, rendering him unable to exit the cave since Thursday. The rescue effort involves more than 150 experts in cave rescue from both Türkiye and international teams, including Italy, Hungary, Croatia, Bulgaria, and Poland.
The New Jersey Initial Response Team provided an update, describing Mark Dickey as an exceptionally capable and experienced caver who requires assistance from equally experienced rescuers. The Morca cave's challenging conditions, including its depth, wetness, and cold, make reaching Dickey a time-consuming endeavor. Communication between the surface and Dickey's location has been hindered due to inoperable phone lines within the cave.
A temporary camp is being established at the 700-meter level, with plans to transport Dickey from his current position at 1,040 meters to the camp. To facilitate this, demolition teams are enlarging narrow passages between the two locations, allowing Mark Dickey to pass through on a rescue litter.
Dickey, a dedicated speleologist, had set ambitious goals for the Morca expedition, aiming to explore depths beyond -1,300 meters, as indicated in a social media post before the trip. His preparations included equipment checks and training with a small team of fellow climbers.
The rescue plan involves lifting Dickey over 3,280 feet to the surface, requiring the widening of narrow cave passages to accommodate a stretcher. Multiple bivouac points along the way will allow rest for both the rescue team and Dickey, and precautions are being taken to minimize the risk of falling rocks.
Each section of the cave is being managed by rescue teams from different countries, with the Turkish disaster relief agency AFAD and rescue team UMKE collaborating on the plan. A fundraising effort has garnered over $40,000 towards Mark Dickey's rescue.
The Hungarian Cave Rescue Service initially located and treated Dickey, providing emergency blood transfusions to stabilize his condition. Communication has been established at the "Ümit/Hope" Camp, situated at -1,040 meters, and Mark Dickey's condition is reported to be improving.
Doctors at the site will assess whether it is possible for Dickey to exit the cave without the use of a stretcher, according to a statement from the Speleological Federation of Türkiye.
