French hiker missing in Brazil found alive

RIO DE JANEIRO – Firefighters in Brazil say a Frenchman who went missing last week while hiking alone in a mountainous region near Rio de Janeiro has been located and is in good health.

The press office of Rio’s Fire Department says that 22-year-old Marc Meslin was found Tuesday in a wooded area between the cities of Petropolis and Teresopolis.

Meslin started his hike on Aug. 1. Two days later he realized he was lost and used his cellphone to contact the fire department. It took five days to find him in a region called the Valley of Death.

The Fire Department said that other than a few bruises, Meslin was in good conditions and under observation in a local hospital.

Details were not immediately available.