Elderly Man Fell Down a 130-Foot Ravine and Became Stuck. For Days, He Had Nothing to Eat or Drink — Except Red Wine

An elderly man took a bike trip to the store and bought some red wine — which became far more important than he initially thought.

After a trip on his bike to the supermarket in Cévennes, a mountainous region of south-central France, earlier this month, the 77-year-old man was returning home when he missed a bend in the road, according to reports from CBS News and The Independent. The man, whom the outlets did not identify by name, then took a plunge off the path.

The elderly biker fell 130 feet down a rocky slope and into a ravine below, located in the town of Saint-Julien-des-Points, according to the outlets. Specifically, he wound up on the banks of the Gardon river, per The Independent.

Unable to climb his way out of the ravine, the man attempted to get help, crying out as loud as he could every time a vehicle passed by, the outlets reported. He continued seeking help for days, but nobody came to his aid.

During that time, the man had only the contents of his shopping bag from the fateful trip before his fall to sustain him — which was just red wine, according to CBS News and The Independent. But the beverage did the trick.

After three days, someone finally heard the man’s call on Tuesday, Oct. 28, according to The Independent.

The British newspaper reported that technicians with the Interdepartmental Roads Directorate were working on roads near the site of the man’s fall when they heard him calling out for assistance. Then, they spotted his bicycle, which had been damaged in the cycling accident, in the ravine, per the outlet.

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First responders with the Hérault Fire and Rescue Service arrived on the scene, and the elderly man was airlifted via helicopter to a nearby hospital, according to Entrevue, a French news outlet. He was relatively unscathed, all things considered.

The cyclist sustained only minor injuries and a mild case of hypothermia, according to Entrevue. The latter was likely a result of time spent in the water, according to Dr. Laurent Savath, whom the French outlet described as the chief medical officer of the responding fire department.

“He fell into a stream several times trying to scramble back up, so was at risk of hypothermia,” Savath said, according to Entrevue.

“He’s a miracle,” the medical officer added. “In the cold and damp, with almost no food or water, he’s incredibly resilient.”