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Uruguayan man who disappeared before start of winter in Andes Mountains has been found alive and well. Raul Fernando Gomez, 58, got lost in blizzard while trying to cross Andes range from Chile to Argentina. start of his ordeal began when his motorbike broke down in middle of nowhere. Mr Gomez told reporters he had no choice but to walk in hope of finding town nearby. He became disoriented in heavy snowfall and could not find his way back to road. He found mountain shelter 2,840 metres above sea level and holed himself up there hoping to survive long, freezing winter. local governor said: " truth is that this is miracle. We still can't believe it."

Mr Gomez was found and rescued by team of Argentine meteorological officials who had helicoptered to shelter to record snowfall levels. He had survived by catching rats and eating leftover supplies he found in shelter. Doctors expressed surprise at how well he had fared. He was very thin and had lost 20kg in weight. doctor said he was surprised by Mr Gomez's resilience, saying: "He's patient with high blood pressure, history of smoking and signs of undernourishment, but…in few days we're going to discharge him." Members of Uruguayan rugby team famously survived sub-zero temperatures in Andes for 72 days in 1972 by eating bodies of fellow plane-crash victims.