An injured hiker survived seven days stranded in freezing conditions in the Italian Alps by covering himself in leaves and cuddling his dog for warmth.
Michele Benedet, 33, fell down a gully and broke his ankle, among other injuries, while on a four-day solo walking trip in the Julien Alps.
He was reported missing by his girlfriend when she became worried that he had not returned home.
Rescuers from the region's Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps set off by helicopter the following day (last Thursday) and found Benedet, who is from Trieste, northeast Italy, in a pass in the Venzonassa Valley.
They had spotted "a metallic flash", which turned out to be a "thermal cover", about a hundred metres away from Benedet. CNSAS reported he was lying on the ground near a forest trail.
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A report by Soccorso Alpino e Speleologico Friuli Venezia Giulia-CNSAS revealed the hiker had managed to drag himself close to a water stream. It continued: "There he spent seven nights in the mountains in the cold, injured.
"To keep warm, he had covered himself in leaves as well as his topographic map and he also relied on the company of his little dog, Ash, to survive. Still, he was thirsty and hungry."
Benedet had been unable to phone for help due to poor reception in the area.
