Body of French hiker in Italy found after 9 days

ROME (AP) - Italian mountain rescue squads have recovered the body of a French hiker who had fallen into a ravine and called for help 10 days earlier.

On Sunday, searchers found Simon Gautier's body after spotting his backpack. His body was retrieved Monday in the Cilento area of southern Italy.

The hiker, in his late 20s, called an emergency number on Aug. 9 to say he had broken his legs in a fall into a ravine.

Before his body was located, his family had expressed incredulity the search was taking so many days without results.

Italian TV has played emergency services' recording of Gautier's call for help, in which he tells the operator he can't give his exact location.

The regional mountain rescue office said the search began right after the call.