Hiker survives night in the open after 70-metre fall

A German hiker survived a night at subzero temperatures after falling down a steep cliff.A search operation was launched for the 31-year-old man yesterday (Mon) but to no avail. He was eventually discovered dangling in a net set up to protect roads and houses from falling rocks near Sölden in Tyrol’s Imst district.Rescuers said the man fell 70 metres, adding that he would most likely be dead had he not landed in the net. The hiker’s condition is believed to be serious. He was airlifted to a clinic in Innsbruck.Only some days ago, a 92-year-old dementia sufferer died after spending the night lying in a field. The retirement home resident may have slipped when he went for a night-time walk in Haslach.He was still alive when found wearing nothing but pyjamas, a vest and slippers the next morning, but died in soon after arriving at a nearby hospital.