Man survives by drinking only water for 5 days after cliff fall

ISTANBUL

A 65-year-old man who fell from a cliff in Istanbul's Sarıyer district has revealed that he survived by drinking only water while waiting to be rescued for five days.

Remzi Geyik on Oct. 1 slipped and tumbled down from a rocky hill while attempting to reach a spring to get some water. With his legs broken, Geyik couldn't move, and since he didn't have a phone with him, he couldn't call for help from his relatives or authorities.

Two people who on Oct. 5 went to the same area for a picnic noticed Geyik lying on the ground, and immediately informed the authorities. Although medical teams provided initial care at the scene, as the rugged terrain made a land-based rescue operation impractical, authorities requested a boat. The injured man was taken to the hospital on the boat, and medical personnel stated that the 65-year-old man was not in life-threatening condition.

Unable to move from where he fell for five days, Geyik told the authorities that he survived by drinking the water he took with him before the journey.