A 55-year-old Belgian has been found in the Austrian Alps after having been missing for three days. The man had embarked on a trek through the Karwendel Mountains around a week ago. He went missing in the middle of last week and was finally found on Sunday morning. He was flown to hospital with severe hypothermia and exhaustion. The Austrian public broadcaster ORF reports that the man left Scharnitz last Sunday for a trek through the Karwendel nature reserve.
Initially everything went well. The Belgian called his brother on Thursday, but after that the family could no longer contact the mountain hiker. Out of concern, his brother reported the disappearance to the police on Saturday evening, after which a search party was dispatched to look for the hiker.
Severely hypothermic
Austrian rescue services found the Belgian on Sunday morning. He was spotted from a police helicopter.
According to the Austrian police, this was around 9:15am. The helicopter was able to land next to the man to take him to the hospital in the nearby town of Schwaz for treatment.
According to the rescue services, the man was in a very bad condition. He he was completely exhausted and suffering from hypothermia, but still responsive. His body temperature was barely 32°C degrees and his foot was injured.