A man has been found alive after spending five weeks trapped in a labyrinth of underground caves in south-west France.

Jean-Luc Josuat-Vergès, 48, told his rescuers that he had survived for 35 days in the pitch darkness by eating rotten wood and clay. He was found only by a “miraculous” stroke of luck when teenagers taking advantage of a one-day teachers’ strike decided to explore the caves. Mr Josuat-Vergès left his home on December 18 suffering from depression and telling his wife he wanted to spend some time alone.

Source: Guardian Unlimited