Rescuers attempt to save U.S. explorer in Turkish cave

Turkish and international cave rescue experts are carrying American speleologist Mark Dickey out of the Morca Sinkhole, the third-deepest cave in Turkey. Over 170 people—including doctors, paramedics, and other experienced cavers—worked to widen several narrow passages in the cave to accommodate a stretcher.

What happened to him? Dickey partnered with the Anatolian Speleology Group Association to map the Morca cave system. He fell ill at a depth of 3,675 feet, and his team moved him to their cave base camp to put him under observation, according to a social media update by the Turkish Caving Federation. The federation said Dickey may have suffered gastrointestinal bleeding. By Friday morning, his condition was stable and he was able to walk on his own. Dickey credits the Turkish government’s quick response for saving his life.

Dig deeper: Read Juliana Chan Erikson’s review of Thirteen Lives, the movie based on the 2018 rescue of a boys’ soccer team from a cave in Thailand.