An American cave explorer trapped over 1,000 meters underground in a cave in southern Turkey recorded a video message stating that he is "aware and alert" after being supplied with medical assistance by a rescue team. Mark Dickey, 40, was on an international exploration mission in the Morca Cave in the Taurus Mountains of Mersin Province when he started suffering from gastrointestinal bleeding at a depth of 1,040 meters. More than 150 rescuers from Turkey and other countries are working to save him.
In the message, Dickey, wearing a red jacket and using a headlamp, said, "Hello, I am Mark Dickey from almost thousands of meters down. As you can see, I am aware and alert and speaking. But I haven’t recovered internally yet, so I will need a lot of help to get out of here." He added that he was "very close to the brink" before receiving medical supplies and rescue assistance, thanking the Turkish government and rescuers, stating that it is "a great opportunity to show how the international community can work together."
Other teams from Turkey and elsewhere have set up a camp outside the country's third-deepest cave. Tolga Şiner, head of the medical unit at the rescue committee, told Reuters that Dickey's health condition is stable and his vital signs are normal, adding that three doctors will care for him on the way up. Recep Salkı, head of the Search and Rescue Association within Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), mentioned that it takes 12 hours to descend the cave and 16 hours to ascend. He added that the process of bringing Dickey out could take days.
