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Dominik PodolskyEscaped from the cold in the mountains
Country:
 Germany |
Content:
Dominik Podolsky: A Tale of Survival in the Mountains
Dominik Podolsky, a young German man, found himself in a very precarious situation on one of the Austrian ski resorts. Getting on a malfunctioning ski lift that got stuck, Dominik was on the verge of freezing to death. It was the money he had with him that ultimately saved his life - he started burning it.
A Fateful Evening
Dominik Podolsky, residing in Munich, Germany, found himself on the Hochzillertal ski resort in Austria in 2010. One evening, the 22-year-old, who was skiing, got on a ski lift that stopped working after some time. Dominik found himself in a very unfavorable position - it was getting dark, with no one in sight, and he was suspended too high above the ground to attempt jumping down. Unfortunately, his situation was dire. He had left his mobile phone at home, unable to call for help, and the temperature that evening was -18 degrees Celsius. After spending several hours in agonizing anticipation, Dominik realized that he was beginning to feel extremely drowsy - a clear sign of frostbite. Understanding that it would be very difficult to hold on any longer, the young man desperately searched for a solution. Unfortunately, there was practically no choice for him, hanging at a height of over 10 meters. Even when the thought of taking a risk and jumping down crossed his mind, he reasoned that with broken legs, he would hardly be able to help himself. He could hear the sound of snowmobile engines in the distance, and soon it became completely dark. Examining the contents of his pockets, Dominik found a lighter, as well as his wallet, which contained 120 euros in cash, along with numerous cards. He began igniting makeshift signal lights, starting with restaurant bills, followed by paper tissues. After that, Dominik started burning the cards, and when the last one burned, he had no choice but to start burning the banknotes.
A Battle for Survival
In order not to freeze, Dominik had to rely on all his military skills, but it helped little - hypothermia was slowly but surely taking over his body. He was noticed when he set fire to his last 20 euro note. Thus, the money signal days worked, and it cost Dominik Podolsky 120 euros - that was the exact amount of money he burned.
When the rescued Dominik was taken to the hospital, it was already past 10 pm. Everyone, including Dominik himself, understood that things could have ended differently for him. However, Dominik is confident that he would not have given himself up to fate easily and would have fought for his life no matter what. As he left for home on the train, he promised to sue the owners of the ski slope. However, they were already prepared with a response. It turned out that when Dominik got on the ill-fated ski lift, he ignored warning signs.
