What to know about a major rescue underway to bring a US researcher out of a deep Turkish cave

ANKARA – A major rescue operation is underway in Turkey’s Taurus Mountains to bring out an American researcher who fell critically unwell 9 days in the past at a intensity of some 1,000 meters (3,000 toes) from the doorway of one of the sector’s private caves. An skilled cave rescuer himself, Mark Dickey is being assisted via groups of world rescuers who via Monday had introduced him to 300 meters (just about 1,000 toes) from the outside.

Here’s what to know about the caver and the rescue operation:

WHAT HAPPENED?

Dickey, a 40-year-old completed cave explorer from Croton-on-Hudson, New York, was once 1040 meters (3,412 toes) from the doorway of the Morca Cave on an expedition, when he was with serious abdomen bleeding on Sept. 2. There have been a number of other folks with him, together with 3 different Americans, at the project to map the 1,276-meter (4,186-foot) deep cave gadget for the Anatolian Speleology Group Association.

In perilous situation, medical doctors, paramedics, and skilled cavers from Turkey and throughout Europe rushed to his rescue. One Hungarian physician went down to deal with him at his location as early as Sept. 3. Doctors have administered IV fluids and four liters (1 gallon) of blood whilst nonetheless throughout the cave in a bid to stabilize his situation and pave the way in which for his rescue. Teams comprised of a physician and 3 to 4 different rescuers took turns staying via his aspect always.

The European Association of Cave Rescuers has described Dickey as “a highly trained caver and a cave rescuer himself” and well known cave researcher, or speleologist. He is the secretary of the affiliation’s scientific committee.

“Mark is the guy that should be on that rescue mission that’s leading and consulting and for him to be the one that needs to be rescued is kind of a tragedy in and of itself,” mentioned Justin Hanley, a 28-year-old firefighter from close to Dallas, Texas, who met Dickey all the way through a cave rescue path the researcher taught in Hungary and Croatia.

WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES OF THE RESCUE?

The Morca Cave in southern Turkey’s Taurus Mountains is the rustic’s 3rd private, a very complicated gadget with many steep vertical shafts and a few horizontal sections.

The greatest demanding situations the rescuers face are the steep vertical sections and navigating via dust and water at low temperatures within the horizontal sections. There may be the mental toll of staying within a darkish, damp cave for prolonged sessions of time, professionals have mentioned.

Temporary scientific camps were arrange alongside the tunnel to supply help and resting spots as Dickey is regularly extracted from the cave. The tunnel additionally wanted to be re-equipped with new ropes and a verbal exchange line had to be drawn. Some slim cave passages wanted to be widened as Dickey was once being moved up on a stretcher.

Gretchen Baker, the nationwide coordinator for the U.S.-based National Cave Rescue Commission, who has recognized Dickey for greater than 10 years, mentioned his enjoy as a rescuer will lend a hand him now as a affected person being rescued.

“Because of his experience teaching and doing these rescues, he understands exactly what is ahead of him,” Baker mentioned, including that whilst it isn’t simple to be tied to the stretcher, Dickey for my part is aware of some of the rescuers from Europe who’ve come to lend a hand him.

“He also knows that the people that are rescuing him are top notch,” she said. “They are such just right cave rescuers.”

WHAT IS THE CURRENT PROGRESS?

Carl Heitmeyer of the New Jersey Initial Response Team mentioned on Monday that Dicked had handed the 300 meter mark and was once heading to 180 meters for a transient forestall.

“At -180m he will receive medical assessment, and regular treatments. Then he will continue to the surface,” Heitmeyer mentioned, including that he may well be out of the cave afterward Monday or on Tuesday.

After his preliminary remedy deep underground, medical doctors gave the go-ahead for the operation to start to bring Dickey to floor on Saturday, when they assessed he was once neatly sufficient to be moved. The American was once first lifted from his location to a camp at 700 meters from the outside, after which to the five hundred meters stage.

The operation comes to stops in order that Dickey can recover at a number of scientific camps which have been arrange alongside the way in which.

The Italian National Alpine and Speleological Rescue mentioned Monday that Dickey identified some sections of the cave and has reacted undoubtedly, working out that he’s getting nearer to the go out.

WHO ARE THE RESCUERS?

Some 190 staff from Turkey and 8 international locations are helping within the rescue effort: Italy, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Poland, Albania, and the United States.

More than 150 of them are professionals within the box of seek and rescue.

Last week, Dickey thanked the caving group and the Turkish executive for his or her efforts in a video message from throughout the cave.

“The caving world is a really tight-knit group and it’s amazing to see how many people have responded on the surface,” mentioned Dickey. “I do know that the quick response of the Turkish government to get the medical supplies that I need, in my opinion, saved my life. I was very close to the edge.”