A British man missing in the Swiss Alps was found alive after a Facebook page helped orchestrate a search and rescue campaign to find him.
Friends noticed that Dan Hunt, 33, went missing Saturday when he failed to meet up with them following a day of speedflying, an extreme sport that combines paragliding and skiing. After depleting Hunt’s insurance money in an effort to find him, Hunt’s fellow adventurers created a Facebook page in hopes of raising money to continue the search.
The online appeal raised more than $25,000, which paid for six search helicopters and ground teams with mountain dogs looking for the west London resident. More than 1,600 people liked the page, which provided pictures and updates of the search efforts.
“Dan’s insurance is now exhausted, and his family have already covered the second deployment, but are struggling,” wrote the friends on the page’s About section. Donations were collected through PayPal.
Hunt, who was stranded for four days, was found alive Tuesday in a bottom of a 150-foot deep gorge. He is said to be in “high spirits” considering he has a broken ankle and only survived on a chocolate bar and river water.
A wind gust brought Hunt down faster than he expected. He crashed into a deep canyon filled with water that damaged his phone and supplies.
“Dan is very well, in good spirits and extremely grateful for everyone’s contribution to his search and rescue!,” a status update said Tuesday.
Now that the search is complete, well-wishers have taken to the Facebook wall to send their regards to Hunt.
“Well done to all you people who organised this, perhaps YOU should be running the country!” wrote Angela Di Martino Ozturk. “Anyway, glad he was found alive, well done.”
Photo via Find Dan Hunt/Facebook
