Almost froze to death

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The Syrian was rescued by the Villach mountain rescue team. According to the emergency services, the boy was severely hypothermic and could not walk on his own due to his injuries.(Bild: Bergrettung Villach )

Refugee rescued from death by cold in Austria: A hiker discovered the youngster at an altitude of around 1200 meters in the Rosental valley.

A hiker (61) heard cries for help from the forest in the Carinthian Bärengraben in Rosental on Sunday. He came across a boy who was severely hypothermic and injured in the steeply sloping forest and immediately made an emergency call.

"His state of health was poor," said mountain rescuers. According to the police, he was an illegal immigrant from Syria. "The 14-year-old was on his way to Austria via the Karawanken mountains - whether alone is being investigated," says Gerald Tatzgern, head of the Central Office for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, talking about "an exceptional individual case".

"Occurs rarely or not at all"
"This happens very rarely, if at all! The boy's approach was probably an act of desperation. He could have lost his way," it is assumed. According to Tatzgern, so-called foot drags only extend over a few kilometers and take place near border crossings.

"We are not aware of any refugee routes over steep, snow-covered mountains!" Only at the border triangle near Villach has there been a similar situation this winter. "The mountain rescue team had to go out there to help a family who had fled and got lost."

Smugglers are currently avoiding Austria. "Apprehensions have fallen by 50%. We only catch around 40 people a day."