Money To Burn

Man 'saved after setting fire to cash'

A snowboarder has been saved from a ski lift after setting fire to his cash.

Dominik Podolsky, who lives in Munich, was on a ski lift in the Austrian Alps when it closed down for the day.

BBC News reports that he ended up being stranded 10m (33ft) high on the lift for six hours in temperatures of -18C.

During the night he began burning his paper handkerchiefs, business cards and restaurant bills with a cigarette lighter, before eventually setting fire to €120 (£105).

Podolsky explained that he had used techniques he learnt in military service to combat hypothermia, but admitted that he kept falling asleep and his legs went numb.

"I thought about jumping down, but then I'd have probably broken both legs and would have frozen to death," he said.

Podolsky was eventually rescued when he was spotted burning his last €20 note. He was taken to hospital and treated for hypothermia before being released later that night.

The 22-year-old has said that he is considering suing the company that operates the lift, but a spokesperson said it was not for downward trips and Podolsky had ignored warning signs before boarding.