US explorer who fell ill with bleeding has been rescued from 3,400ft deep cave
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A US researcher who got trapped in a 3,400ft cave in Turkey after suffering gastro-intestinal bleeding has been freed overnight.
Mark Dickey was pulled up from the depths of Morca cave in Mersin province’s Taurus mountains after he became trapped almost 1,040 metres below the surface on Saturday, September 2.
The popular 40-year-old speleologist suffered bleeding of the digestive tract, which saw him unable to get out of the cave requiring a three-day rescue operation.
READ MORE: Rescuers race against clock to save bleeding 'elite caver' trapped 3,600ft underground
A rescue team comprising more than 150 worked to stabilise his condition before moving him up to the surface.
He has since said it is "amazing to be above ground again," CNN reports, as he was moved off for a medical operation.
Mr Dickey said the rescuers and the Turkish government, “saved my life literally no questions asked".
The veteran caver then added: “I was underground for far longer than ever expected with an unexpected medical issue.”
Part of the operation saw rescuers have to blast open passages to make space wide enough to carry a stretcher through.
Mr Dickey was finally recovered from the hole at 12.37am on Tuesday (September 12) after the operation to pull him up from the 1,036 metres below the surface began.
Taking to social media platform X, Turkish rescuers said: “Mark Dickey was removed from the last exit of the cave at 00:37 and taken to the UMKE tent.
"Thus, the cave rescue part of the operation has ended successfully. We congratulate all those who have contributed!”
Mark's parents, Debbie and Andy Dickey, have since explained that their son, "has been moved out of Morca cave in stable condition is indescribably relieving and fills us with incredible joy”.
Rescuers had previously updated nervous onlookers noting that they had got him to within 180 metres below ground level and that it was expected that they would have him out soon.
The Turkish Caving Federation on Monday (September 11) update prior to Mark’s rescue: “The rescue team is currently moving Mark to -180 meters”.
Still, though, there had been no guarantees at this point that the operation would go to plan, with the Federation adding: “The rescue operation will continue from the – 180 meters after Mark has rested at the camp here for a while.
“If everything goes well, it is aimed to rescue Mark completely by tonight or tomorrow.”
The experienced caver underwent an expedition into one of the deepest caves in the world, located in southern Turkey.
From Croton-on-Hudson, New York, Mark is himself a trained cave rescuer, according to the European Cave Rescue Association (ECRA).
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