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The climber had attempted to tackle the glacier without crampons, pictured above. Michael Pollack via Creative Commons
Austria

Pensioner rescued after days trapped in glacier crevasse

Austrian police say the German man, 70, is incredibly lucky to have survived with only minor injuries.

AUSTRIAN MOUNTAIN rescuers today rescued a 70-year-old German man claiming to have been stuck for around a week in a glacier crevasse, police said, calling it incredible that he was still alive.

The climber, who has not been named, was only slightly injured after his ordeal although he was very cold and exhausted. He was airlifted to hospital in Innsbruck in western Austria by helicopter.

He told rescuers that he had set off around a week ago without crampons and that around 3,000 metres (10,000 feet) up he had slid into the 20-metre crevasse. Other mountaineers were eventually alerted by his cries and called in rescuers.

“It is a sensation that he survived there for a week,” police said. “He was very lucky.”

- (c) AFP, 2012

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