An American researcher has been rescued from a cave in Turkey more than a week after he fell seriously ill 1,000m (more than 3,000ft) below its entrance.
Mark Dickey, a 40-year-old experienced caver, was on an expedition to map Morca cave in southern Turkey’s Taurus Mountains when he became seriously ill on 2 September with stomach bleeding.
The Speleological Federation of Turkey said he had left the cave after midnight local time and the rescue mission “has ended successfully”.
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Rescue effort to free US man in Turkey cave
Teams from across Europe rushed to the cave – the third deepest in Turkey – when Mr Dickey became too frail to climb out himself and carried him with the help of a stretcher, making frequent stops at temporary camps set up along the way.
Following his rescue, the caver described the experience as a “crazy, crazy adventure”.
“It is amazing to be above ground again,” Mr Dickey said, as he praised the rescue operation.
On Tuesday, Mr Dickey described having to throw up large quantities of blood.
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At one point he did not think he was “going to live” after his consciousness was waning.
Parents filled with ‘incredible joy’
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A statement from Mark’s parents, Andy and Debbie Dickey, said the fact their son “has been moved out of Morca Cave in stable condition is indescribably relieving and fills us with incredible joy”.
The American was first treated inside the cave by a Hungarian doctor who went down on 3 September before other physicians and rescuers took turns caring for him.
The rescuers faced steep vertical sections and had to navigate through mud and water at low temperatures in the horizontal sections.
They also had to deal with the psychological toll of staying inside a dark and damp cave for extended periods of time.
Image: Italian Alpine rescuers carry Mark Dickey on a stretcher
Around 190 experts including doctors, paramedics and experienced cavers from Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, Poland and Turkey took part in the rescue.
Teams of a doctor and three to four other rescuers took turns staying by Mr Dickey’s side at all times.
Image: Rescuers begin their descent on ropes. Pics: AP
The rescue began on Saturday after doctors, who had administered IV fluids and blood, determined Mr Dickey could make the arduous ascent.
Before the evacuation could begin rescuers had to widen some of the cave’s narrow passages, install ropes to pull him up vertical shafts on a stretcher and set up temporary camps along the way.
Image: Mark Dickey
Mr Dickey, from Croton-on-Hudson, New York, appeared in a video on Thursday, but said he was not “healed on the inside” and needed a lot of help to get out of the cave.
He is an instructor with the US National Cave Rescue Commission (NCRC) and is highly regarded in the international speleological (the study of cave exploration) community and has previously taken part in rescue missions.
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The entire East Wing of the White House will be demolished “within days” – much more bulldozing than initially expected for Donald Trump’s new ballroom construction project.
Two Trump administration officials told Sky News’ US partner NBC that the demolition is a significant expansion of the initial plans announced this summer.
“It won’t interfere with the current building,” Mr Trump had said on 31 July. “It’ll be near it, but not touching it, and pays total respect to the existing building, which I’m the biggest fan of.”
Image: Rubble is piled higher and higher as demolition continues on the East Wing. Pic: AP
But a White House official told NBC News the “entirety” of the East Wing would eventually be “modernised and rebuilt”.
“The scope and the size of the ballroom project have always been subject to vary as the process develops,” the official added.
The East Wing was built at the beginning of the last century and was last modified in 1942.
Image: Trump shows off an artist’s impressions of his new ballroom. Pic:AP
Construction on the ballroom – which is expected to hold up to 900 people when finished – began this week.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a non-profit agency created by Congress to help preserve historic buildings, warned administration officials in a letter on Tuesday that the planned ballroom “will overwhelm the White House itself”.
“We respectfully urge the administration and the National Park Service (stewards of the White House) to pause demolition until plans for the proposed ballroom go through the legally required public review processes,” Carol Quillen, the trust’s chief executive, said in a statement.
Image: Windows of the complex could be seen being torn down. Pic: Reuters
‘Fake news’
The White House called the uproar “manufactured outrage” by “unhinged leftists and their fake news allies” in a statement.
Last week, Mr Trump said the total price would be about $250m (£187m), which would be paid for by himself and private donors will pay for. However, on Wednesday, he said the ballroom’s price is “about $300m (£225m)”.
The 90,000 sq ft ballroom will dwarf the White House itself – and would be able to accommodate almost five times more guests than the East Room, the largest current space in the mansion.
Mr Trump says the ballroom won’t cost US taxpayers at all. Instead, “donors” would pay for it.
Comcast, the parent company of Sky News, was included on a list of top donors released last week – but it is unclear how much it or others have contributed.
A former world chess champion is being investigated over his public attacks on US grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky, who died suddenly this week aged 29.
Russian player Vladimir Kramnik is facing disciplinary proceedings over repeated accusations against Mr Naroditsky.
He was found dead at his home earlier in North Carolina, and the cause has not been made public.
Image: Vladimir Kramnik. Pic: AP
Mr Naroditsky’s supporters claim he had been “bullied relentlessly online” by Mr Kramnik, with some calling for him to be banned from the game.
Mr Kramnik has accused a number of players of cheating in online games – and first voiced “concerns” about Mr Naroditsky’s play last year, leading to an ongoing feud between the pair.
The 50-year-old routinely posted online about his younger rival, calling for an investigation into his play and at times appearing to threaten legal action.
In an October 2024 interview, Mr Naroditsky characterised Mr Kramnik’s efforts as “a sustained, evil and absolutely unhinged attempt to destroy my life”.
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Now, following the announcement of Mr Naroditsky’s death on Monday, the international chess federation (FIDE) has referred Mr Kramnik’s behaviour to its ethics and disciplinary commission.
Image: Naroditsky was a popular chess streamer on YouTube and Twitch. Pic: AP
FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich said in a statement: “I, along with the FIDE management board, will formally refer all relevant public statements made by GM (grandmaster) Vladimir Kramnik – both before and after the tragic death of GM Daniel Naroditsky – to the FIDE Ethics and Disciplinary Commission for independent consideration.”
Mr Kramnik has denied wrongdoing, and claims he has also been bullied by members of the chess community – as well as receiving death threats.
He told Reuters: “What public statement after the death of Daniel was incorrect? … I have not bullied Daniel Naroditsky, nor ever made personal insults towards him.”
But prominent chess players have condemned Mr Kramnik’s conduct – with former world champion Magnus Carlsen describing his treatment of Mr Naroditsky as “horrible”.
Meanwhile, Indian grandmaster Nihal Sarin said the retired player “needs to pay for what he’s doing”.
Mr Naroditsky was one of America’s most recognisable chess figures and a former world youth champion.
At just 14 years old, he had written and published a book on the game – and in later years, educated followers through livestreams on Twitch and YouTube.
Mr Naroditsky denied cheating and appeared visibly distressed in his final Twitch broadcast last weekend, where he referred to the toll the controversy had taken on him, according to the now-deleted video.