Holidaymakers chilled to the bone

Dispute over cab costs: Escape in ice-cold stream

The fugitive holidaymaker was finally "fished" out of the stream bed in the Sölden area.(Bild: zoom.tirol)

Spectacular scenes unfolded on Tuesday evening in the Tyrolean winter sports resort of Sölden: After a holidaymaker got into an argument with a cab driver over the bill, the Estonian jumped over the guardrail and plunged almost 50 meters into a stream. The escape continued in the ice-cold water before the 20-year-old was stopped by the police. His body temperature was just 31 degrees.

During the journey from a restaurant to the vacation accommodation, a disagreement arose between the cab driver and the 20-year-old Estonian regarding payment. After the driver called the police, the passenger fled.

Plunged almost 50 meters into the stream bed
"The man jumped over the guard rail and consequently fell around 40 to 50 meters over a steep embankment into the bed of the Rettenbach stream. He then fled, completely soaked, along the stream bed towards the village of Sölden," reported the police.

The 20-year-old, who was obviously heavily intoxicated, was rescued from the stream bed by the volunteer fire department using a turntable ladder and then taken to Zams Hospital by ambulance.

Die Polizei

The Estonian was finally found by officers in the bed of the stream near a hotel, suffering from severe hypothermia. "The 20-year-old, who was obviously heavily intoxicated, was rescued from the bed of the stream by the volunteer fire department using a turntable ladder and then taken to Zams Hospital by ambulance," the investigators continued.

Injured and severely hypothermic
The vacationer's body temperature was only 31 degrees. In addition, the holidaymaker sustained injuries to his face and upper body during the fall.