“Mark Dickey has been brought out of the last passage in the cave,” the Turkish Caving Society said in a statement, adding that “the operation was successfully completed.” The 40-year-old American suffered severe stomach pains when he was more than 1,100 meters underground and an international effort was launched to get him out. However, the many narrow passages created problems for the rescue personnel and the whole thing took a long time. During Saturday, Dickey was carried on a stretcher for ten hours – despite that, they did not get more than 300 meters closer to the surface. The alarm was delayed Dickey’s health problems, which included bleeding, began on September 2, but it took a day or so for the alarm of his illness to reach the others, further up in the cave. He himself has said that quick assistance from the others in the group and the efforts of the Turkish authorities, who ensured that drugs could be taken down, saved his life. – At first I didn’t think it was that serious. Then I started throwing up blood. More blood came up than you can handle losing if this continues. I found it increasingly difficult to stay conscious and I didn’t think I would survive, Mark Dickey told journalists on the spot. The expedition in Morcagrottan aims to map the cave, which has a depth of nearly 1,300 meters.
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