A German mountain climber has been rescued alive after surviving for six days inside the crevasse of an Austrian glacier
The 70-year-old fell through a 20 metre crack in the ice while on a solo climb up Schrankogel, a mountain in the Stubai Alps in Tyrol, on Tuesday.
Passing climbers heard screams and shouts for help from inside crevasse and alerted authorities to the trapped man.
The 70-year-old climber, pictured wearing purple, was hauled up on a rope by rescuers following his six-day ordeal
The seven rescuers treated the climber at the scene before he was taken to Innsbruck hospital
A rescue team pulled the pensioner up to safety using a rope pulley, and marveled at how he was able to survive for so long.
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He lay on the mountain-side, wearing a waterproof jacket and some form of scarf tied around his head.
Rescuers said the pensioner's shouts and screams for help were heard by passing climbers who alerted the authorities
The team of seven rescuers checked the climber at the scene for injury.
The pensioner was then airlifted to Innsbruck hospital suffering from hypothermia and exhaustion following his ordeal.
He had set off six days ago and was walking to the Amberger Hütte when the accident occurred at around 3000 metres above sea level, the Austrian Independent reported.
Franz Santer, from the mountain rescue team in Gries im Sellrain who coordinated the rescue, said: ‘The rescue went well. We got the man out of the crevasse with a rope pulley.
He added that the climber had been resting on a ledge following the fall.
The man, who had been climbing solo, is thought to have stood on snow covering a crevasse which then gave way below him.
Mr Santer added: ‘Other climbers heard screams and shouts for help.
They alarmed rescuers.
'It is a wonder he survived so long.’
The Schrankogel mountain is the second highest mountain in the Stubai Alps, peaking at 3497 metres.
