American cave explorer Mark Dickey has come to Croatia to thank his colleagues from the Croatian Mountain Rescue Service (HGSS) for helping to rescue him from a cave in Turkey.

Addressing a press conference in Zagreb on Wednesday evening, Dickey thanked everyone for helping him, in particular the Croatian team who he said had played a prominent role in the rescue effort.

Before the press conference, the HGSS organised for the press a demonstration of a cave rescue exercise at Bliznec on Mount Medvednica, just outside Zagreb.

Dickey was on an international exploration mission in the Morca cave in southern Turkey in early September when he became trapped at a depth of more than 1,000 metres after suddenly falling seriously ill. Twenty-two HGSS personnel participated in the rescue operation and they were among the first to reach him. Dickey spent more than a week underground and was eventually rescued on 12 September.

Dickey told the press that his chances of getting out alive were slim and that his life was measured in hours. But after he heard the voice of Croatian caver Marko Rakovac, he said to himself: “Croatians are here, great!”

Rakovac expressed satisfaction with the fact that a very complicated rescue operation, full of uncertainty for everyone, was successful. “I will remember it as one of the most challenging operations in the history of the HGSS and as a great success. I hope there will be fewer such operations in the future,” Rakovac said.