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Hikers have discovered the body of an elderly man who went missing for over a week, thanks to his faithful dog who stayed by his side the entire time. The man and his dog were found in Roßleithen region of Upper Austria.

The 73-year-old had gone missing on August 15 after he attended an AlmWandertag (a "hiking day") in Rosenau am Hengstpass. According to friends, the man was found in the Saurüsselmauern area, which he knew well. It is thought that he may have gotten disoriented in the dark, lost his footing and fallen roughly 50 metres down a steep embankment.

It was his dog's barking which alerted the nearby hikers to the man’s whereabouts. They found his loyal dog by his side, guarding him. Throughout the week, search parties looking for the missing man had been unsuccessful in locating him. The dog and the man's body were transported out of the area by helicopter.

• Austria
• hiker
• loyal dog