French Hiker’s Body Found in Italian Ravine 10 Days After He Called for Help

French Hiker’s Body Found in Italian Ravine 10 Days After He Called for Help
Members of the Italian mountain rescue team search for a French hiker in the Cilento region, Southern Italy, on Aug. 19, 2019. (Corpo Nazionale Soccorso Alpino e Speleologico via AP)

ROME—Italian mountain rescue squads have recovered the body of a French hiker who had fallen into a ravine and called for help 10 days earlier.

On Sunday Aug. 19, searchers found Simon Gautier’s body after spotting his backpack. His body was retrieved Monday in the Cilento area of southern Italy.

Members of the Italian mountain rescue team search for a French hiker
Members of the Italian mountain rescue team search for a French hiker in the Cilento region, Southern Italy, on Aug. 19, 2019.(Corpo Nazionale Soccorso Alpino e Speleologico via AP)

The hiker, in his late 20s, called an emergency number on Aug. 9 to say he had broken his legs in a fall into a ravine.

NTD Photo
Members of the Italian mountain rescue team search for a French hiker in the Cilento region, Southern Italy, on Aug. 19, 2019.(Corpo Nazionale Soccorso Alpino e Speleologico via AP)

Before his body was located, his family had expressed incredulity the search was taking so many days without results.

Italian TV has played emergency services’ recording of Gautier’s call for help, in which he tells the operator he can’t give his exact location.

The body of French hiker Simon Gautier is carried into a car
The body of French hiker Simon Gautier is carried into a car at Policastro harbor, near Salerno, southern Italy, on Aug. 19, 2019. (Pasquale Lapadula/ANSA via AP)

The regional mountain rescue office said the search began right after the call.

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