'Amazing To Be Above Ground': American Explorer After Being Rescued From Turkiye's Third Deepest Cave

US cave explorer Mark Dickey, who was trapped in Turkey's third-deepest cave, was rescued on Monday night by more than 150 people

American explorer Mark Dickey transported to an ambulance on a stretcher after he was rescued from Morca Cave.

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After a gruelling rescue operation, a US citizen was pulled out of Turkey’s third deepest cave on Monday night. More than 150 people were involved in efforts to save the researcher after he fell ill nine days ago in the Morca Cave. Mark Dickey was brought up to the ground at 12:37 AM, the Turkish Caving Federation, TUMAF announced on social media. “Mark Dickey is out of the Morca cave. He is fine and is being tended to by emergency medical worker in the encampment above,” the federation said. “Thus, the cave rescue part of the operation has ended successfully. We congratulate all those who have contributed!”

"It is amazing to be above ground again" Dickey told reporters, he thanked the Turkish government for saving his life with its rapid response rescue team. 

An experienced caver, Dickey developed gastrointestinal bleeding at a depth of some 1,000 metres from the entrance of the cave, according to the Associated Press. 

The 40-year-old explorer was on an expedition of the cave when he became stricken with severe stomach bleeding on September 2. He was with several people with him, including three other Americans, on the mission to map the 1,276-metre deep cave system for the Anatolian Speleology Group Association.

"Then I start throwing up blood and blood is coming out in more quantity that you're going to live with if it keeps happening… I kept throwing up blood. Then my consciousness started to get harder to hold on to and I reached a point where I said, 'I'm not going to live'," he told the BBC news.

Rescue And Its Challenges

The Morca Cave is a very complex system with many vertical shafts and a few horizontal sections in southern Turkey’s Taurus Mountains. According to the AP news, the steep vertical sections were a challenge for the rescuers along with mud and water at low temperatures in the horizontal sections.

Dickey was gradually removed from the cave and temporary medical camps were set up along the tunnel to provide assistance. The rescue workers had to re-equip new ropes and draw a communication line. Some passage ways were widened to help Dickey move up a stretcher.

How Mark Dickey Finally Moved

Following an initial treatment underground, the doctors gave the green light for the rescuers to be pulled up. There were medical camps set up along the way to help him recuperate. Dickey recognised parts of the cave and reacted positively when they were getting close to the exit, Italian National Alpine and Speleological Rescue said on Monday.

The Speleological Federation of Turkey said Dickey reached the 100-metre mark Monday evening after taking a rest at a temporary camp at 180 metres.

There were rescue personnel from Turkey and eight other countries — Italy, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Poland, Albania and the United States and more than 150 of them were experts in the field of search and rescue.

Dickey's parents Debbie and Andy Dickey said their son's rescue was "indescribably relieving" and filled them with "incredible joy". According to the BBC, "Mark is strong and we believe in his strength, but fully knew that he was in dire need of tremendous and immediate support," they said.

"Our prayers have been, and are, being answered and it is hard to express the magnitude of thanks we have for the international caving com