Mark Dickey, a 40-year-old American explorer, found himself in a perilous situation 3,400 feet below the Earth’s surface when he suffered severe stomach bleeding deep within the Morca cave. In an emotional video message obtained by The Associated Press, Mr. Dickey expressed his profound gratitude to Turkish authorities who initiated a daring rescue mission involving over 150 international cave rescue experts.

“I was very close to the edge,” Mr. Dickey admitted in the video.

Video of American in Turkish Cave

Throughout the week, rescuers delivered six units of blood and medical assistance to Mr. Dickey, leading to an improvement in his condition. However, the challenging cave system’s narrow passages and complex twists and turns may necessitate the use of a stretcher for his extraction.

Rescue teams began the intricate process of setting up rope lines on Wednesday, although the mission’s commencement remains uncertain due to its extreme complexity. The cave’s labyrinthine nature typically requires a person in good health around 15 hours to exit.

In his video message, Mr. Dickey extended his heartfelt thanks to the global caving community for their unwavering support during this trying time.

“The caving world is a really tight-knit group, and it’s amazing to see how many people have responded on the surface,” he expressed.

The American explorer also acknowledged the swift response of the Turkish government, which provided vital medical supplies crucial to his survival.

“We’re still waiting for communications actually to reach down here. So right now it’s a day or two days of travel for information to get back and forth. I don’t quite know what’s happened, but I do know that the quick response of the Turkish government to get the medical supplies that I need, in my opinion, saved my life. I was very close to the edge,” Mr. Dickey emphasized.

The complexity of the rescue mission lies in Mr. Dickey’s inability to climb out on his own, as stated by the European Cave Rescue Association. Remarkably, Mr. Dickey himself is a highly trained caver and a cave rescuer, serving as the secretary of the association’s medical committee.

Watch another video  below:

Credit: Independent.co.uk