American explorer says he thought he would die during an 11-day ordeal in a Turkish cave

By ANDREW WILKS
Associated Press

ISTANBUL (AP) — An American researcher says he thought he would die after falling ill while exploring a Turkish cave system. Mark Dickey was rescued after 11 days underground. Speaking at a hospital in southern Turkey on Thursday, he told reporters he never gave up hope while stuck 1,000 meters (more than 3,000 feet) below ground. “But there’s a difference between accurately recognizing your current risk against giving up. You don’t let things become hopeless, but you recognize the fact that ‘I’m going to die.’” The 40-year-old experienced caver fell ill on Sept. 2 with stomach bleeding while mapping the Morca cave in southern Turkey’s Taurus Mountains. Rescuers brought him to the surface on Tuesday.