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Rescue Begins of Ailing US Researcher Stuck Deep Inside Turkish Cave, Turkish Officials Say

US caver Mark Dickey is seen in Morca Cave, days before he fell ill and became trapped some 1,000 meters (3,280 ft) underground, near Anamur in Mersin province, southern Türkiye, August 28, 2023. (Reuters)
US caver Mark Dickey is seen in Morca Cave, days before he fell ill and became trapped some 1,000 meters (3,280 ft) underground, near Anamur in Mersin province, southern Türkiye, August 28, 2023. (Reuters)
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Rescue Begins of Ailing US Researcher Stuck Deep Inside Turkish Cave, Turkish Officials Say

US caver Mark Dickey is seen in Morca Cave, days before he fell ill and became trapped some 1,000 meters (3,280 ft) underground, near Anamur in Mersin province, southern Türkiye, August 28, 2023. (Reuters)
US caver Mark Dickey is seen in Morca Cave, days before he fell ill and became trapped some 1,000 meters (3,280 ft) underground, near Anamur in Mersin province, southern Türkiye, August 28, 2023. (Reuters)

Rescue teams began the arduous process Saturday of extricating an American researcher who became seriously ill while he was 1,000 meters (3,000 feet) below the entrance of a cave in Türkiye, an official from Türkiye’s disaster management agency said.

It could take days to bring Mark Dickey to the surface since rescuers anticipate he will have to stop and rest frequently at camps set up along the way as they pull his stretcher through the narrow passages.

“This afternoon, the operation to move him from his camp at 1040 meters to the camp at 700 meters began,” the official from the Disaster and Emergency Management Directorate told The Associated Press.

The 40-year-old experienced caver began vomiting because of stomach bleeding while on an expedition with a handful of others in the Morca cave in southern Türkiye’s Taurus Mountains.

Teams of rescuers from across Europe have rushed to Dickey’s aid. A Hungarian doctor reached and treated him inside the cave on Sept. 3. Doctors and rescuers have since been taking turns caring for him.

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Survivor of Rare Rapid-ageing Disease Progeria Dies at 28

Progeria, also known as Hutchinson–Gilford syndrome (HGPS), causes people to age rapidly, leading them to appear older than they are - (Photo by AFP)
Progeria, also known as Hutchinson–Gilford syndrome (HGPS), causes people to age rapidly, leading them to appear older than they are - (Photo by AFP)
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Survivor of Rare Rapid-ageing Disease Progeria Dies at 28

Progeria, also known as Hutchinson–Gilford syndrome (HGPS), causes people to age rapidly, leading them to appear older than they are - (Photo by AFP)
Progeria, also known as Hutchinson–Gilford syndrome (HGPS), causes people to age rapidly, leading them to appear older than they are - (Photo by AFP)

Sammy Basso, who was the longest living survivor of the rare genetic disease progeria, has died at the age of 28, the Italian Progeria Association said on Sunday.

Progeria, also known as Hutchinson–Gilford syndrome (HGPS), causes people to age rapidly, leading them to appear older than they are, with a reduced quality of life and a life expectancy of only 13.5 years without treatment, the association's website said.

It affects one in every eight million people born, and has a worldwide incidence of one in every 20 million, Reuters reported.

Born in 1995 in Schio, in the northern Italian region of Veneto, Basso was diagnosed with progeria at the age of two. In 2005, he and his parents founded the Italian Progeria Association.

He became famous through the National Geographic documentary "Sammy's Journey," which recounts his journey along Route 66 in the United States, from Chicago to Los Angeles, with his parents and one of his best friends, Riccardo.

"Today our light, our guide, has gone out. Thank you Sammy for making us part of this wonderful life," the association wrote on its Instagram page.

There are only 130 recognised cases of classic progeria worldwide, of which four are in Italy.

However, the Italian Progeria Association estimated there could be as many as 350 cases as they can be difficult to trace especially in developing countries.