A 77-year-old French cyclist survived for three days at the bottom of a 40-metre ravine after crashing on his way home from a shopping trip, relying on wine to stay alive. The man, who was returning to Saint-Julien-des-Points from La Grand-Combe in southern France, missed a turn on the N106 and plunged into a ravine in the Cévennes region. Despite the fall, he sustained only minor injuries and mild hypothermia.
With no way of climbing out and no one responding to his calls for help, he survived using the groceries he had with him, including a few bottles of wine that had somehow remained intact. He rationed these over the three days until road workers finally heard his cries and spotted his bicycle. Firefighters and a helicopter team rescued him, and he was taken to hospital in Alès.
Doctors described his survival as miraculous, especially given the cold, damp conditions and his repeated falls into a stream while trying to escape. Now discharged from hospital, the man is said to have shown remarkable resilience and resourcefulness.
