Mark Dickey hails ‘crazy adventure’ after rescue from 3,400 feet deep Turkish cave

Experienced explorer Mark Dickey emerged from the Morca cave in Turkey cave on Tuesday after a successful multi-day rescue operation by teams from all over Europe.

Mr Dickey, 40, told reporters that it was “amazing to be above ground again,” as he was taken to a medical tent for examination before he could be transferred to hospital.

Mr Dickey, a well-known speleologist and cave rescuer himself, became trapped after suddenly suffering from gastrointestinal bleeding while on an expedition in one of the world’s deepest caves.

His condition worsened quickly, making him unable to move and requiring a doctor to go down into the cave to administer vials of blood to keep him stabilised.

“I was underground for far longer than ever expected with an unexpected medical issue,” Mr Dickey said.

Mr Dickey thanked the rescue teams and Turkish government for bringing him to safety and saving his life.

More than 190 rescuers joined forces to safely extract him from the complex cave system.

Key Points

• Mark Dickey emerges from Turkish cave after successful rescue operation

• Here’s what we know about the cave rescue mission so far

• Caver rescue shown on Turkish TV

• 190 experts from 8 countries pressed into Mark Dickey’s rescue

• Dickey’s condition ‘continues to improve’

Mark Dickey’s fiancé assists with rescue effort to save stranded caver

Sunday 10 September 2023 22:40 , Bevan Hurley

The fiancé of a caver who fell ill on an expedition in Turkey is assisting with a massive rescue effort to save him.

Mark Dickey’s partner and fellow caver Jessica Van Ord was with him when he began suffering gastrointestinal bleeding more than 1,000m below ground in the Morca cave complex on 2 September, according to Reuters.

Ms Van Ord remained by Mr Dickey’s side as an Italian rescue team with medical personnel reached the 40-year-old New Yorker and gave him IV fluids and blood inside the cave.

She has been staying at a base camp near the mouth of the cave, and working with the 150-strong team of cavers who have travelled to Turkey to help bring Mr Dickey out by stretcher.

Mark Dickey’s fiancé assists with rescue effort to save stranded caver

What is a speleologist?

Sunday 10 September 2023 23:30 , Bevan Hurley

In simple terms, a Speleologist studies all aspects of caves including their geology, biology, hydrology, and history, according to Start Caving.com.

Speleologists often research how the cave is formed and how It changes – this is known as speleogenesis and speleomorphology.

“Speleology is an interdisciplinary field that combines a lot of scientific skills,” Start Caving says.

The Independent’s Faiza Saqib has more.

What is a speleologist?

Who is Mark Dickey?

Monday 11 September 2023 00:30 , Bevan Hurley

Mark Dickey, 40, is an experienced caver who embarked on an expedition mission to map one of the deepest caves in the world – the Morca cave system in southern Turkey.

Hailing from Croton-on-Hudson, New York, Mr Dickey is a highly-trained caver, cave rescuer himself and well-known in the international speleological (cave expert) community, according to the European Cave Rescue Association (ECRA).

His resume of cave explorations and expert status is endless: secretary of the ECRA medical committee, lead instructor for Caving Academy, a US-based organisation that prepares other cavers for exploration and a national instructor for the National Cave Rescue Commission.

He also volunteers with the New Jersey Initial Response Team, a nonprofit search-and-rescue team.

Ariana Baio has more.

He helped rescue people from caves. Now he’s stuck in one of the world’s deepest

Mark Dickey rescue team reach halfway mark

Monday 11 September 2023 02:30 , Bevan Hurley

Rescue teams in Turkey had successfully carried American researcher Mark Dickey to a depth of 500m, or roughly halfway to the surface, by Sunday afternoon.

“Mark is now at -500 meters as of 19:08, local time (GMT +3). Half of the rescue distance is over,” the Speleogical Federation of Turkey posted in an update on Sunday.

Over 150 rescuers join international effort to save Mark Dickey

Monday 11 September 2023 04:05 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

More than 150 rescuers from Turkey and across the globe have been pressed into action to save 40-year-old Mark Dickey from the country’s third-deepest cave.

“Our medical team is working really hard to try to keep Mark’s condition as stable as possible. Since yesterday [Saturday], we started lifting the stretcher and transporting him through the cave,” Giuseppe Conti, European Cave Rescue Association technical commission chairperson, told reporters.

“We have to do it very carefully because we cannot risk any conditions worsening (for) Mark. So we must pay attention metre after metre. Currently, the stretcher is about ... 500 metres from the surface.”

Mark Dickey’s fiancé assists with rescue effort to save stranded caver

Monday 11 September 2023 04:30 , Bevan Hurley

The fiancé of a caver who fell ill on an expedition in Turkey is assisting with a massive rescue effort to save him.

Mark Dickey’s partner and fellow caver Jessica Van Ord was with him when he began suffering gastrointestinal bleeding more than 1,000m below ground in the Morca cave complex on 2 September, according to Reuters.

Ms Van Ord remained by Mr Dickey’s side as an Italian rescue team with medical personnel reached the 40-year-old New Yorker and gave him IV fluids and blood inside the cave.

She has been staying at a base camp near the mouth of the cave, and working with the 150-strong team of cavers who have travelled to Turkey to help bring Mr Dickey out by stretcher.

Mark Dickey’s fiancé assists with rescue effort to save stranded caver

Rescue underway to save Mark Dickey

Monday 11 September 2023 05:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

What we know about Turkey’s third-deepest cave

Monday 11 September 2023 05:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Rescuers are racing against time to save ill American caver Mark Dickey, who is stuck inside Turkey’s third-deepest cave.

The Morca cave – located in the Taurus Mountains near Anamur, South Turkey, runs to a depth of 1,276 metres, according to the country’s caving federation.

Mr Dickey fell sick at a depth of 1,040 metres while accompanied by an international team of explorers last week.

It takes about 12 hours for a caver to get down and 16 hours to climb up, according to Recep Salci, the head of search and rescue for Turkey’s disaster management authority.

Rescuers could take days to bring Mark Dickey back to surface

Monday 11 September 2023 06:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Search and rescue officials could take days to bring the ill American explorer out of Turkey’s third-deepest cave.

Mr Dickey fell sick at a depth of 1,040 metres on Sunday while accompanied by an international team of explorers last week.

Recep Salci, head of AFAD’s search and rescue department, earlier said it could take up to 10 days to bring Dickey back to the surface “depending on his condition”.

Mr Dickey is being assisted by doctors with IV fluids and blood. Teams of doctors with three or four other personnel have been taking turns accompanying the caver, AP reported.

An international rescue effort

Monday 11 September 2023 06:30 , Bevan Hurley

Teams from Turkey, Hungary, Bulgaria, Croatia, Italy and Poland are working to create a path out of the cave system, The Independent’s Ariana Baio explains.

The Morca cave system descends through various, very narrow, twists, turns and rappels – making it a difficult exploration for any person in good health. The underground equivalent of the cave is like climbing Mount Everest.

“It takes a full 15 hours for an experienced caver to reach the surface in ideal conditions,” the Speleological Federation of Turkey said.

To tackle the issue, the team of international experts has divided up the depths of the cave and assigned it to a specific team to figure out a solution for that specific area.

At multiple very narrow spots, a demolition team will need to widen them so Mr Dickey can pass through on a stretcher. They will also need to set up several camp spots on the way up to continuously monitor Mr Dickey and give him and his team sections to rest in.

To make the matter more complicated, communication between the underground team and the surface team is limited. Runners are being used to travel from the camp where Mr Dickey is to the surface where a telephone line is to speak with officials, according to AP.

Read more of Ariana’s piece below.

He helped rescue people from caves. Now he’s stuck in one of the world’s deepest

Over $58,000 raised for Mark Dickey’s rescue

Monday 11 September 2023 07:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

A fundraiser set up for the rescue of ill American speleologist Mark Dickey has raised $58,800 so far.

“This fundraiser is started on behalf of the National Cave Rescue Commission (for whom Mark is also an instructor) and will be distributed to the rescue teams to cover the logistical costs of aiding him out of the cave,” the description on the GoFundMe page read.

In an update on 9 September, the fundraisers added that the money will be “put to good use towards the travel, food, gear and supplies that the rescuers have needed”.

Explosives used to widen narrow parts of Morca cave

Monday 11 September 2023 07:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Search and rescue officials have used explosives to blast open the narrowest parts of a cave in Turkey to allow a stretcher to pass in an effort to save an ill American explorer.

Mark Dickey fell sick inside the Morca cave – located in the Taurus Mountains, South Turkey, that runs to a depth of 1,276 metres, according to the country’s caving federation.

The cave is mostly wet and cold and includes tight passages in both vertical and horizontal sections, making it difficult for the rescuers to bring out the speleologist.

Apart from small explosives, rock hammers were also being used by rescuers to make way for a stretcher to ensure Mr Dickey’s safety during ascent.

Mark Dickey’s fiancé assists with rescue effort

Monday 11 September 2023 08:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

The fiancé of a caver who fell ill on an expedition in Turkey is assisting with a massive rescue effort to save him.

Mark Dickey’s partner and fellow caver Jessica Van Ord was with him when he began suffering gastrointestinal bleeding more than 1,000m below ground in the Morca cave complex on 2 September, according to Reuters.

Ms Van Ord remained by Mr Dickey’s side as an Italian rescue team with medical personnel reached the 40-year-old New Yorker and gave him IV fluids and blood inside the cave.

She has been staying at a base camp near the mouth of the cave, and working with the 150-strong team of cavers who have travelled to Turkey to help bring Mr Dickey out by stretcher.

Bevan Hurley has more.

Mark Dickey’s fiancé assists with rescue effort to save stranded caver

Rescuers reach the halfway mark

Monday 11 September 2023 08:30 , Bevan Hurley

A rescue operation to save stricken caver Mark Dickey from a 1,000m-deep cave had reached the halfway mark by Sunday afternoon.

“The stretchered patient arrived at the -500 m bivouac at 19:00h CEST (4pmET). The medical status of the casualty is stable,” the European Cave Rescue Association announced on Sunday afternoon.

“The next planned stop is at -300 m. The members of the different rescue teams are in a good physical condition.”

Race against time to save American caver

Monday 11 September 2023 09:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Mark Dickey about to reach 300 metres from surface

Monday 11 September 2023 09:02 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

American caver Mark Dickey is about to reach -300, the Turkish Caving Federation said today on social media X.

New Jersey governor ‘in touch’ with Turkey over rescue

Monday 11 September 2023 09:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

New Jersey governor Phil Murphy said he was in contact with Turkish officials regarding the rescue operation of caver Mark Dickey, who fell ill inside the Morca cave.

Mr Dickey is a local caver who leads the New Jersey Initial Response Team in Sussex County, the governor said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“We are grateful to the Turkish military and first responders leading the rescue effort,” he added.

Rescue teams yesterday successfully carried Mr Dickey up from a depth of 3,410 feet (1,040m), and he is now about halfway to the surface.

Turkish officials says Dickey could be free in matter of days

Monday 11 September 2023 11:30 , Joe Sommerlad

Cenk Yildiz, Mersin provincial head of Turkey’s AFAD disaster management authority, said that Mark Dickey is on course to be brought out of the cave by rescuers in two to three days “if they don’t experience any problems”.

His colleague Tulga Sener, medical coordinator for the cave rescue commission, added: “A medical doctor will accompany him the whole way. Right now, Italian doctors are accompanying him along the route.

Mark’s medical condition right now is very good.”

Dickey 180 metres from surface and could be rescued ‘tonight or tomorrow’

Monday 11 September 2023 12:00 , Joe Sommerlad

Here’s some great news from the Turkish Caving Federation:

Rescuers stress need for caution: ‘We must pay attention metre after metre’

Monday 11 September 2023 13:00 , Joe Sommerlad

More than 150 rescuers from Turkey and other countries have been working for days to rescue Mr Dickey from the country’s third deepest cave.

Speaking on Sunday, European Cave Rescue Association technical commission chairperson Guiseppe Conti told reporters: “Our medical team is working really hard to try to keep Mark’s condition as stable as possible. Since yesterday, we started lifting the stretcher and transporting him through the cave.

“We have to do it very carefully because we cannot risk any conditions worsening [for] Mark. So we must pay attention metre after metre. Currently, the stretcher is about... 500 metres from the surface.”

Since then, the rescuers have brought Mr Dickey another 200 metres closer to daylight.

Mark Dickey’s fiancé assists with rescue effort to save stranded caver

Monday 11 September 2023 14:00 , Joe Sommerlad

The fiancé of a caver who fell ill on an expedition in Turkey is assisting with a massive rescue effort to save him.

Mark Dickey’s partner and fellow caver Jessica Van Ord was with him when he began suffering gastrointestinal bleeding more than 1,000m below ground in the Morca cave complex on 2 September, according to Reuters.

Ms Van Ord remained by Mr Dickey’s side as an Italian rescue team with medical personnel reached the 40-year-old New Yorker and gave him IV fluids and blood inside the cave.

She has been staying at a base camp near the mouth of the cave, and working with the 150-strong team of cavers who have travelled to Turkey to help bring Mr Dickey out by stretcher.

Mark Dickey’s fiancé assists with rescue effort to save stranded caver

Late-stage evacuation in progress

Monday 11 September 2023 16:00 , Ariana Baio

At 590 feet, Mark Dickey is resting

Monday 11 September 2023 17:00 , Ariana Baio

The Speleological Federation of Turkey announced that American explorer Mark Dickey is now resting after reaching 590 feet (180 metres).

It is unclear how long Mr Dickey will be resting for but the next part up will be to the surface.

Fundraiser for Mark Dickey nears $60K

Monday 11 September 2023 17:30 , Ariana Baio

As rescuers work to free Mark Dickey from the Morca cave in Turkey, a fundraiser for the efforts is nearing the $60,000 mark.

Mr Dickey is currently on the last leg of the rescue mission before he reaches the surface, the Speleological Federation of Turkey said on X.

“Many thanks to everyone who is contributing to Mark Dickey’s rescue from Morca! The last cave rescue of this scale (Riesending, 2014) required 700 rescuers over the course of 2 weeks and cost approximately 960,000 Euros (about $1 million). This GoFundMe is currently set to $100,000 and this will only be a start for the expenses. The funding will be put to good use towards the travel, food, gear and supplies that the rescuers have needed. This is a complex and expensive operation and your contributions to this effort are making a good impact towards supporting those involved!” The GoFundMe says.

In Photos: Rescue mission underway

Monday 11 September 2023 18:00 , Ariana Baio

Catch up with the story

Monday 11 September 2023 19:00 , Ariana Baio

Rescue teams began the challenging process on Saturday of extricating Mark Dickey, who became seriously ill while he was exploring the Morca cave near Anamur in the south of Turkey last week.

Maanya Sachdeva reports:

Rescue of American explorer trapped in Turkey cave has begun, officials say

Where is Mark Dickey in the Morca cave?

Monday 11 September 2023 20:00 , Ariana Baio

At the moment, Mark Dickey, is at the 590 feet (180 metre) mark below the surface.

This is the last leg of the cave that Mr Dickey and the team need to get over before he can be evacuated and seek medical attention for the gastrointestinal bleeding he faced last week.

Mark Dickey at 328 feet – expected to be rescued tonight

Monday 11 September 2023 20:42 , Ariana Baio

The Speleological Federation of Turkey wrote on X that Mark Dickey had made it to the 328 feet (100 metres) point as of Monday afternoon.

This is the last section of the cave before Mr Dickey can be returned to the surface and seek medical attention.

“Mark is in the last 100 meters. Crews continue to work to have him [sic] out tonight,” the organisation wrote.

Six international rescue team assisting in rescue

Monday 11 September 2023 21:20 , Ariana Baio

Six rescue teams from different countries apart of the European Cave Rescue Association (ECRA) are working together to try to rescue American Mark Dickey from the Morca cave in Turkey.

At 3,400 feet, it will be incredibly difficult to get Mr Dickey, safely, out of the cave.

To make it easier, the ECRA is going to split seven parts of the cave up among the six teams. Each time will find solutions to conduct the rescue operation at a set number of feet.

The Bulgarian cave rescue team will first find a way to get Mr Dickey from 3,412 feet (where he is now) to 2,953 feet.

From there, the Croatian rescue team will get Mr Dickey to 2,345 feet.

Then the Italian rescue team will get Mr Dickey to 1,640 feet.

After that the Polish rescue team will take over to help Mr Dickey reach 1,181 feet.

Then the Hungarian team will assist in reaching 590 feet.

Finally, the Turkish team will help get Mr Dickey out of the cave and to the surface so he can reach proper medical care.

Rescuers in process of dismantling rope installations

Monday 11 September 2023 22:00 , Ariana Baio

As cave rescuers work to bring Mark Dickey to the surface, others are cleaning up after themselves and dismantling the rope installations they created in order to bring Mr Dickey up on a stretcher.

The European Cave Rescue Association (ECRA) said that Mr Dickey’s medical condition remained unchanged – stable but still delicate due to the gastrointestinal bleeding.

Mr Dickey is being lifted out of the depths of the cave via a stretcher which required much preparation by the teams to ensure no rocks fell and it remained sturdy.

“Rescuers below the stretcher party continue their work to dismantle the rope installations,” the ECRA wrote on Monday afternoon.

“All cave rescuers remain fit and well. The whole caving community anxiously awaits the appearance of the casualty at the surface!”

What the final stage of the mission looks like

Monday 11 September 2023 22:30 , Ariana Baio

Tuesday 12 September 2023 00:10 , Graeme Massie

This explorer built a career rescuing people from caves. Now he’s been freed from one of the world’s deepest

01:00 , Graeme Massie

Expert caver Mark Dickey was unable to climb out of the Morca cave in Turkey after falling seriously ill.

He helped rescue people from caves. Now he’s stuck in one of the world’s deepest

Caver thanks rescuers who brought him to safety

01:31 , Graeme Massie

Mark Dickey said that it was “Amazing to be above ground again,” as he was taken to a medical tent for examination before he could be transferred to hospital after his ordeal, reported CNN.

And he thanked the rescue teams and Turkish government for bringing him to safety and said they had “saved my life literally no questions asked.

And he added: “I was underground for far longer than ever expected with an unexpected medical issue.”

Rescuers wil remain in cave to bring out equipment following rescue

03:01 , Graeme Massie

“Many cave rescuers remain in the cave to remove substantial amounts of rope and rescue equipment used during the operation. This may take one more day,” stated the European Cave Rescue Association on Monday.

“ECRA express huge gratitude to the many cave rescuers from seven different countries who contributed to the success of this cave rescue operation.”

Who is Mark Dickey?

04:00 , Ariana Baio

For days, expert cave explorer Mark Dickey has been stuck 3,400 feet below the surface in a cave in the Taurus Moutain region of Turkey.

Mr Dickey, 40, is an experienced caver who embarked on an expedition mission to map one of the deepest caves in the world – the Morca cave system in southern Turkey.

But the expedition was suddenly cut short after Mr Dickey fell ill with gastrointestinal bleeding.

Ariana Baio reports:

He helped rescue people from caves. Now he’s stuck in one of the world’s deepest

Mark Dickey transported to an ambulance after being rescued

04:16 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

American caver taken to hospital by helicopter

04:37 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Mark Dickey was airlifted out of the mountains to be taken to a hospital in Mersin, Turkey, say officials.

“He seems fine at first look,” Recep Salci of Turkey’s disaster and emergency management authority (AFAD) said today.

The helicopter took off at 1.50am (local time) to transport Mr Dickey to the hospital.

Latest pictures as cave rescue nears the surface

05:01 , Graeme Massie

Caver describes ordeal as ‘crazy adventure’

05:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

American caver Mark Dickey described his more than a week-long ordeal as a “crazy, crazy adventure” after being brought to the surface by rescuers.

“It is amazing to be above ground again,” he said, thanking the Turkish government for saving his life with its rapid response. He also thanked the international caving community, Turkish cavers and Hungarian Cave Rescue, among others.

Mr Dickey’s parents, Debbie and Andy Dickey, said the fact that their son “has been moved out of Morca Cave in stable condition is indescribably relieving and fills us with incredible joy”.

After being rescued, Mr Dickey said that in the cave he had started to throw up large quantities of blood.

“My consciousness started to get harder to hold on to, and I reached the point where I thought ‘I’m not going to live’,” he told reporters.

190 experts from 8 countries pressed into Mark Dickey’s rescue

06:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Around 190 experts from Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, Poland, and Turkey took part in Mark Dickey’s rescue, including doctors, paramedics and experienced cavers.

Teams comprising a doctor and three to four other rescuers took turns staying by his side at all times.

The rescue began on Saturday after doctors, who administered IV fluids and blood, determined that Mr Dickey could make the arduous ascent.

Before the evacuation could begin, rescuers first had to widen some of the cave’s narrow passages, install ropes to pull him up vertical shafts on a stretcher and set up temporary camps along the way.

Mark Dickey’s parents issue statement after rescue

06:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

American caver Mark Dickey’s parents, Debbie and Andy Dickey, said the fact that their son “has been moved out of Morca cave in stable condition is indescribably relieving and fills us with incredible joy”.

They thanked the international caving community, doctors, rescuers and the Turkish government for helping rescue their son.

Caver rescue shown on Turkish TV

07:02 , Graeme Massie

Dickey pulled out strapped to stretcher

07:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Mark Dickey was too frail to climb out himself, so rescuers carried him with the help of a stretcher, making frequent stops at temporary camps set up along the way before he finally reached the surface this morning.

The American caver was strapped to the stretcher and was lifted vertically by rope through some of the narrow passageways.

Mr Dickey was sent to a hospital by helicopter about an hour after being brought to the surface, the Turkish federation said.

Mark Dickey emerges from Turkish cave after successful rescue operation

07:57 , Graeme Massie

The 40-year-old American embarked on an expedition mission to map out one of the deepest cave systems in the world – in the Morca cave in Mersin province’s Taurus mountains on 2 September.

Mark Dickey emerges from Turkish cave after successful rescue operation

Moment American researcher rescued from Turkish cave

09:00 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Moment American researcher rescued from Turkish cave

Mark Dickey’s fiancé assists with rescue effort to save stranded caver

09:33 , Graeme Massie

The fiancé of a caver who fell ill on an expedition in Turkey is assisting with a massive rescue effort to save him.

Mark Dickey’s partner and fellow caver Jessica Van Ord was with him when he began suffering gastrointestinal bleeding more than 1,000m below ground in the Morca cave complex on 2 September, according to Reuters.

Ms Van Ord remained by Mr Dickey’s side as an Italian rescue team with medical personnel reached the 40-year-old New Yorker and gave him IV fluids and blood inside the cave.

Bevan Hurley reports:

Mark Dickey’s fiancé assists with rescue effort to save stranded caver

What is a speleologist?

11:04 , Graeme Massie

In simple terms, a Speleologist studies all aspects of caves including their geology, biology, hydrology, and history, according to Start Caving.com.

Speleologists often research how the cave is formed and how It changes – this is known as speleogenesis and speleomorphology.

“Speleology is an interdisciplinary field that combines a lot of scientific skills,” Start Caving says.

The field itself is quite niche and oftentimes when cave explorers do go on an expedition, it can take hours or even days.

Who is Mark Dickey?

12:05 , Graeme Massie

Mark Dickey, 40, is an experienced caver who embarked on an expedition mission to map one of the deepest caves in the world – the Morca cave system in southern Turkey.

Hailing from Croton-on-Hudson, New York, Mr Dickey is a highly-trained caver, cave rescuer himself and well-known in the international speleological [cave expert] community, according to the European Cave Rescue Association (ECRA).

His resume of cave explorations and expert status is endless: secretary of the ECRA medical committee, lead instructor for Caving Academy, a US-based organisation that prepares other cavers for exploration and a national instructor for the National Cave Rescue Commission.

He also volunteers with the New Jersey Initial Response Team, a nonprofit search-and-rescue team.

Ariana Baio has more.

He helped rescue people from caves. Now he’s stuck in one of the world’s deepest

What is a speleologist?

13:00 , Graeme Massie

In simple terms, a speleologist studies all aspects of caves including their geology, biology, hydrology and history, according to Start Caving.com.

Speleologists often research how the cave is formed and how It changes – this is known as speleogenesis and speleomorphology.

“Speleology is an interdisciplinary field that combines a lot of scientific skills,” Start Caving says.

Faiza Saqib has more.

What is a speleologist?

Explosions, tiny crevices, and 190 experts: Inside the dramatic cave rescue

14:00 , Ariana Baio

Explosions, steep, cramped crevices and 190 experts navigating one of the world’s deepest caves – the rescue mission to save renowned American researcher Mark Dickey was never going to be easy.

But after a multi-day operation involving experts from all over Europe, the 40-year-old explorer was finally pulled from the depths of the Morca cave system in the Taurus Moutain region in south Turkey more than a week after he went in.

Emergency services were scrambled after Mr Dickey became unwell with gastrointestinal bleeding and was too ill and fragile to pull himself out of the cave - leaving him stranded 3,400 feet below the surface.

A team of 190 experts from Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, Poland and Turkey was rapidly assembled to save the highly-trained caver and well-known personality in the international speleological (cave expert) community.

The biggest challenges for the rescuers getting him out of the cave were the steep vertical sections and navigating through mud and water at low temperatures in the horizontal sections.

Mark Dickey posts from ICU

14:30 , Ariana Baio

In Photos: the rescue operation

15:00 , Ariana Baio

Inside the dramatic cave rescue of trapped explorer Mark Dickey

15:30 , Ariana Baio

When Mark Dickey issued a distress call from 3,400 feet below the surface, rescuers from across Europe rallied to save him.

Natalie Crockett reports:

Inside the dramatic cave rescue of trapped explorer Mark Dickey

Watch: Moment American researcher rescued from Turkish cave

16:00 , Ariana Baio

16:57 , Ariana Baio