Photo:Serkan Avci/Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesAmerican caver Mark Dickeyis giving thanks to his fiancée, who played a pivotal role in saving his life.“I’m alive because of the rescuers but she is the one that saved my life initially,” Dickey said about Jessica Van Ordin an interview with ABC News,which aired onGood Morning AmericaThursday.He added, “She is one hell of a woman, one hell of a caver, one hell of a rescuer, one hell of a paramedic and she’s awesome.”The 40-year-old New Jersey native was trapped in theMorca cave— the third-deepest cave in Turkey — for over a week afterhe became ill while on an expeditionwhen he experienced gastrointestinal bleeding, according toNBC News.Throughout the entire 12-day ordeal, he told GMA he always “knew I would get to the surface,” but the logistics surrounding getting him aid — including life-saving medications — weighed heavily on him. And that’s where Van Ord, who had accompanied him on the expedition, sprang into action.“I knew we had to get the ball rolling if there was going to be a rescue and to have treatment started,” Van Ord told ABC News in an interview on Wednesday.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Van Ord, who is also a paramedic, knew that her fiancé was suffering from internal bleeding based on his symptoms, so she made the tough decision to leave his side and to climb to the surface in a harrowing, hours-long ordeal.Teams from the Hungarian Cave Rescue Service and Bulgarian Cave Rescue soon arrived on the scene, with Italian, Croatian and Polish teams also converging later in the week to aid in the rescue, according to a European Cave Rescue Association (ECRA)news release.By last Friday, around 200 caving experts had flown in to help Dickey in his ascent back to the surface,according toThe Washington Post.Upon reaching safe ground, Dickey was hospitalized in intensive care in the city of Mersin. Now in stable condition, doctors are currently running more tests to determine exactly what happened, he said onGMA.But despite the good outcome, looking back at his arduous rescue, Dickey said he nearly lost hope.“There’s lots of different medical terminology, but ‘circling the drain’ is one of them, and I was down pretty deep in that drain, “ Dickeysaid on theTodayshowThursday.He added, “I was down to single-word communication, I was in a fetal position, barely moving.”
Photo:Serkan Avci/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Serkan Avci/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
American caver Mark Dickeyis giving thanks to his fiancée, who played a pivotal role in saving his life.“I’m alive because of the rescuers but she is the one that saved my life initially,” Dickey said about Jessica Van Ordin an interview with ABC News,which aired onGood Morning AmericaThursday.He added, “She is one hell of a woman, one hell of a caver, one hell of a rescuer, one hell of a paramedic and she’s awesome.”The 40-year-old New Jersey native was trapped in theMorca cave— the third-deepest cave in Turkey — for over a week afterhe became ill while on an expeditionwhen he experienced gastrointestinal bleeding, according toNBC News.Throughout the entire 12-day ordeal, he told GMA he always “knew I would get to the surface,” but the logistics surrounding getting him aid — including life-saving medications — weighed heavily on him. And that’s where Van Ord, who had accompanied him on the expedition, sprang into action.“I knew we had to get the ball rolling if there was going to be a rescue and to have treatment started,” Van Ord told ABC News in an interview on Wednesday.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Van Ord, who is also a paramedic, knew that her fiancé was suffering from internal bleeding based on his symptoms, so she made the tough decision to leave his side and to climb to the surface in a harrowing, hours-long ordeal.Teams from the Hungarian Cave Rescue Service and Bulgarian Cave Rescue soon arrived on the scene, with Italian, Croatian and Polish teams also converging later in the week to aid in the rescue, according to a European Cave Rescue Association (ECRA)news release.By last Friday, around 200 caving experts had flown in to help Dickey in his ascent back to the surface,according toThe Washington Post.Upon reaching safe ground, Dickey was hospitalized in intensive care in the city of Mersin. Now in stable condition, doctors are currently running more tests to determine exactly what happened, he said onGMA.But despite the good outcome, looking back at his arduous rescue, Dickey said he nearly lost hope.“There’s lots of different medical terminology, but ‘circling the drain’ is one of them, and I was down pretty deep in that drain, “ Dickeysaid on theTodayshowThursday.He added, “I was down to single-word communication, I was in a fetal position, barely moving.”
American caver Mark Dickeyis giving thanks to his fiancée, who played a pivotal role in saving his life.
“I’m alive because of the rescuers but she is the one that saved my life initially,” Dickey said about Jessica Van Ordin an interview with ABC News,which aired onGood Morning AmericaThursday.
He added, “She is one hell of a woman, one hell of a caver, one hell of a rescuer, one hell of a paramedic and she’s awesome.”
The 40-year-old New Jersey native was trapped in theMorca cave— the third-deepest cave in Turkey — for over a week afterhe became ill while on an expeditionwhen he experienced gastrointestinal bleeding, according toNBC News.
Throughout the entire 12-day ordeal, he told GMA he always “knew I would get to the surface,” but the logistics surrounding getting him aid — including life-saving medications — weighed heavily on him. And that’s where Van Ord, who had accompanied him on the expedition, sprang into action.
“I knew we had to get the ball rolling if there was going to be a rescue and to have treatment started,” Van Ord told ABC News in an interview on Wednesday.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Van Ord, who is also a paramedic, knew that her fiancé was suffering from internal bleeding based on his symptoms, so she made the tough decision to leave his side and to climb to the surface in a harrowing, hours-long ordeal.
Teams from the Hungarian Cave Rescue Service and Bulgarian Cave Rescue soon arrived on the scene, with Italian, Croatian and Polish teams also converging later in the week to aid in the rescue, according to a European Cave Rescue Association (ECRA)news release.
By last Friday, around 200 caving experts had flown in to help Dickey in his ascent back to the surface,according toThe Washington Post.
Upon reaching safe ground, Dickey was hospitalized in intensive care in the city of Mersin. Now in stable condition, doctors are currently running more tests to determine exactly what happened, he said onGMA.
But despite the good outcome, looking back at his arduous rescue, Dickey said he nearly lost hope.
“There’s lots of different medical terminology, but ‘circling the drain’ is one of them, and I was down pretty deep in that drain, “ Dickeysaid on theTodayshowThursday.
He added, “I was down to single-word communication, I was in a fetal position, barely moving.”
source: people.com
