Stranded American caver arrives at base camp 2,300 feet below ground, Turkish officials say

Mark Dickey, 40, is expected to rest before the evacuation continues.

ByKevin Shalvey
September 10, 2023, 7:54 AM

LONDON -- The American caver stranded below ground in Turkey arrived at a base camp some 2,300 feet below ground early on Sunday morning, Turkish and European caving officials said.

Mark Dickey, 40, has been trapped underground since Aug. 31, when he fell ill more than 3,400 feet below the surface.

A medical team takes care of American caver Mark Dickey, center, 40, inside the Morca cave near Anamur, southern Turkey, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023.
Marton Kovacs/Hungarian Cave Rescue Service via AP

His evacuation is being monitored by health officials. He arrived at about 3:24 a.m. local time at the base camp 700 meters, or about 2,300 feet, below ground, officials said.

“At this stage, he will set out again after resting and applying the necessary treatments,” Mağaracılık Federasyonu, the country's caving federation, said in a post on social media.

PHOTO: A rescuer is seen at the entrance of Morca Cave, as they take part in a rescue operation to reach U.S. caver Mark Dickey who fell ill and became trapped more than 3,000 feet underground, near Anamur in Mersin province, Turkey, Sept. 9, 2023.
A rescuer is seen at the entrance of Morca Cave, as they take part in a rescue operation to reach U.S. caver Mark Dickey who fell ill and became trapped more than 3,000 feet underground, near Anamur in Mersin province, southern Turkey, Sept. 9, 2023.
Umit Bektas/Reuters

Dickey's condition is "stable," the European Cave Rescue Association said in an update on Sunday.

"The rescuers are already moving the stretcher towards the next bivouac at -525 m," or about 1,700 feet underground, the group said.

ABC News' Edward Szekeres contributed to this story.

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