Speed-Flier Dan Hunt Found Alive In The Alps

A British adventurer who went missing in Switzerland after taking part in the extreme sport of speed-flying has been found alive after four days.

Dan Hunt began his flight in the Alps on Saturday with two friends, but never arrived at their agreed meeting spot.

Mr Hunt, who runs an organic food shop in London, was eventually located after his family and friends launched their own rescue mission.

They raised more than £16,000 through an online appeal after his insurance money ran out, effectively sparking a race against time to locate him in the mountains.

The 33-year-old had set out from the Jungfraujoch in the Lauterbrunnen mountain area, a favourite region with fans of the extreme sport.

But after a successful launch at a height of 11,333ft, he did not land as planned and search and rescue teams were scrambled.

Once the insurance cover was used up, Mr Hunt's friends swung into action and launched a Facebook campaign urging people to contribute.

The money raised went on six helicopter flights, expert mountain guides and search dogs to scour the glacier and surrounding area.

Finally, at around midday on Tuesday, they found Mr Hunt sitting in a cave 40ft wide and 150ft deep at the bottom of the gorge.

Rescue workers lowered themselves down and pulled him to safety using a harness. He was then taken to hospital.

He has a broken ankle but otherwise no serious injuries and it is not yet clear why his flight down the mountain side went wrong.

Close friend Lisa Carnie, a speed-flyer herself who helped the rescue effort, told Sky News online: "It is an amazing relief that we pulled it off."

She insisted they had never lost hope, saying: "We always thought we would find him and that he had the skills to see him through until then."

Mr Hunt later issued a message, saying: "I am so grateful, touched, and humbled by all the help. Thank you from the bottom of my heart."

His best friend Pedro Pimentel said: "This is the best day of my life. I was trying to be positive but also fearing the worst. I have been a climber for 20 years and in these situations you have to keep going."

Speed-flying, billed as the ultimate mountain high, is a type of paragliding and involves using a fabric wing like a parachute to get down the mountain side at speeds of up to 75mph.