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Subscribe to RSSMAINZ, Germany -- A 70-year old German man was rescued Tuesday from the Austrian Alps, where he was stuck for six days in a crevasse nearly 10,000-feet above sea level.
The man, who was not named, survived by eating rations of a chocolate bar and drinking melted glacier water, officials said.
Medical officials expressed surprise that he had survived for so long in such icy conditions.
"One of the treating physicians told us that one of the first things the 70-year-old asked for was a beer with a shot of lemonade," said Johannes Schwamberger, spokesman for the hospital in Innsbruck, Austria, where the man was being treated after his rescue.
Climbing alone
The man, who hailed from the southeast German state of Bavaria, had been touring by himself Schrankogel mountain in the central eastern Alpine region of Stubai without the safety of a rope.
"It's a wonder he survived for so long," Gerhard Baumann, from the Austrian mountain rescue team, told NBC News.
"Climbers are always being told not to hike the mountains alone, to be in regular contact with relatives or friends and to be roped at all times, especially on a glacier," Baumann explained.
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'Cold was his biggest enemy'
Rescuers pulled the man out of the crevasse after other climbers had heard his screaming.
"Because the man had no serious injuries, it was not so difficult to pull him out of the crevasse," Baumann said.
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"The man had fallen between 10 and 15 meters (32-50 feet) into the crevasse and was resting on a ledge -- the cold was his biggest enemy," Baumann added.
The man was airlifted to a hospital in Innsbruck, where he is recovering from his ordeal in the intensive care unit. Hospital officials told NBC News that the man has no life-threatening injuries and is in stable condition.
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Doctors were checking his kidneys, to see whether they have been affected by drinking only mineral-free glacier water.
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Leave a Comment:
A true German spirit! Prosit! old dude... you definitely deserve that beer...
In fact, have 2.
The Bavarians love their beer. He's a tough man to survive that ordeal. I would love to go to Octoberfest & have a beer with him. I would even buy.
Amazing - just checking kidney function after all that. Good for you Sir...hope that beer was refreshing. Raise glass, clink, cheers.
Herzlichen Glückwunsch mein guter Freund! Ich bin so froh, dass Sie überlebt! Ich bin nicht überrascht, weil wir Deutschen haben eine nie sagen Die Haltung direkt in unsere Seelen integriert.
Ich hoffe, Sie genießen Ihr Bier und Limonade, Sie hat es also verdient!
Bitte nehmen Sie es einfach für eine Weile mein Freund, ok?
Yer Pal immer,
Dir
Thee Ox,
Sie übersetzen viel mit "Google translate"? Was sie geschrieben haben hat überhaupt keinen Sinn! Kein Deutscher würde das verstehen.
Justhefax-2437807,
Früher habe ich Google zu Babel Fish verwenden, aber in meinem Res Ponce, die deutschen Kollegen ich Bing Übersetzer verwendet. Sieht aus, als ob Bing Translator gerade so nutzlos wie Google ist!
Und Sie haben wahrscheinlich Recht--ein deutscher vielleicht nicht verstehen, alle Übersetzungen von jedem online-Übersetzer!
Allerdings musste ich give it a Shot, weil ich in dem Moment des deutschen Mannes wollen Bier und Limonade nach seinen traumatischen Erfahrungen eingeholt wurde. Wahrlich, ein Tuff Alter Mann.
Ihr Freund immer,
Dir
Thee Ox,
Yes, he is a tuff old "german". Thanks for your reply, didn't want to offend ;-) Have not tried Bing, but then I guess I'm a tuff old german too and really don't need it
;-) Have a good day
that is one fit 70yr old...way to go..
Fit??? Maybe but stupid too!!!
Salute........Cheers!
Most ailments are best treated with a beer and a shot of lemonade.
That's funny to hear when we pay a premium for it to be bottled and shipped to us labeled as "healthy".
I don't recall distilled water being labeled as healthy, but I could be wrong.
I've heard of glacier ice being used for drinks (very noisy pinging as the trapped air, pressurized for eons, bursts free as the cubes melt), but I've not heard of it being melted and bottled. But it would take volumes to fill what I've not heard about.
Distilled water is NOT healthy to drink for extended periods of time. It absorbs minerals from the body.
Unless he had a rope anchored to something sturdy before he fell, having a rope wouldn't have helped. I hope this fellow recovers fully and enjoys his future trips to the mountains. I also hope the reporters research the reason climbers use ropes, but hikers seldom actually need them.
Ummm no $hit, Sherlock. Where do you think they anchor the ropes? Thin air?
mathuin, PUHLEESE go back to kindergarten ! Then you can start by researching the demise of thaa dodo bird.
Most mountain climbers use ropes. The mountain he was on is the 2nd highest in the Stubai Alps at nearly 11,500 ft. He was at the 10,000 ft. level.
In the US the question would be 'do you have insurance'?
Austria's healthcare system is 9th in the world, according to WHO, thanks to the Social Democratic Party of Austria who developed the system.
The United States is 37th.
6 days...that aint nothing..I've been holed up with the same crevasse for 25 years..why am I not in the paper.
Now thats just funny right there!
best comment ive read all day
There are an unusual number of stories of senior citizens who have survived extended amounts of time trapped in isolated situations.They appear to fair better than younger folks placed in similar conditions side by side no significant injuries exist. It has been speculated this might have something to do with lower metabolism and less demands the body has placed upon it. In addition there is believed to also be a mental factor involved. Something to do with having lived through so much in life, that allows them to come to terms quickly with their situations and stay positive.
WDS, yu sir, ... shud mebbe jus stikk to yur singing in thaa wind & dancing thaa polar bear waltsezz, ... unless yu has a dr'zz degree (Phd) in yur field uno. PSYCHIATRIKK DUMBBBITIS. <> AKA::: a WANNABEE.
Denko...seeing as it is highly unlikely that you have a degree of any kind, let alone a PhD, I suggest you not throw stones. In fact, did you complete high school? Middle school? Elementary school? I'm pretty sure I knew how to spell "you" and "your" and "should" by then.
The other part of the story is that he will venture out next year for another climb - alone, not telling anyone his plans. This time he plans to bring lots of food and of course - mineral water and lots of beer (don't forget the lemon)!
He is "The most interesting man in the world!" Maybe he can do bier commercials now. He dosen't always trink bier, but when he does, he prefers Hofbrau mit Limon!
Give the man a beer n put some prozac in it to so he can get his flouriude requirement.
They left out the most important part; did he get his beer with a shot of lemonade?
Wonder,
I'm sure he did ;-). But yes, that is the important part.
What a man.
Best wishes for next year's hike and take the beer and lemon with you just in case, and maybe a cellphone or the Saint Bernard with caskette of jaegermeister...
What a total badass. A beer!
Man, they just don't make 'em like they used to...
Give the man his damned beer already. He earned it.
I'll be drinking a Corona with lime to this man's health! Bottoms up!
He gets a beer, and a good German one at that. I am sure it was not some crap Buttwiper or some other lousy American beer. Have a Heller, old dude.
I think I may have found a lost German relative!
A beer is definitely the first thing I'd ask for.
I think after 6 days eating a chocolate bar, I would ask for a juicy ribeye steak & a beer.