Rome (AFP)

Simon Gautier, the French hiker missing since August 9 south of Naples, and found nine days later, died of hemorrhagic shock due to the section of a femoral artery, according to the results of the autopsy performed at the hospital. Hospital of Sapri.

According to the analyzes, made public by local media and confirmed to AFP by a carabineros officer, the 27-year-old Frenchman survived for only 45 minutes.

In his fall, he suffered open fractures to both legs with limb displacement and severe cuts, according to the result of the autopsy that validates information previously given to AFP by the carabinieri on the basis of a first body exam.

The hiker was able to call an emergency number and was able to give some indication to an operator but the emergency services had failed to locate him later.

According to the autopsy, he died only a few minutes after calling for help around 9:00 am.

Disappeared in full hike, Simon Gautier was found dead Sunday, August 18 in a deep ravine, after long operations of research on this very rough coast.

The Italian justice has opened for several days an investigation for "manslaughter" to determine if there were delays in the relief provided to the French tourist.

The prosecutor's office in Vallo della Lucania wants to check if the search operations started late.

"It's a good thing to be able to shed light and deepen certain aspects of relief operations," Antonio Ricci, the prosecutor, told the local media the day the body was recovered.

Simon Gautier, 27, lived in Rome where he was preparing a thesis in art history.

He had left in the afternoon of Thursday, August 8th from the Policastro Bussentino station and planned to go up alone this coast that alternates beaches and cliffs, until Naples, 200 km further north. He spent the night on a beach before leaving on Friday morning on the cliff side, in the wild zone of "Infreschi", where many beaches are only accessible by boat.

Shortly before 9am, 200 or 300 meters above the sea, he departs from the marked path and falls into a ravine, sliding for several meters. He could have confused the path with traces of animals, sheep or wild boars, according to several witnesses of the search operations.

Simon manages to take out his mobile phone and call a friend, who does not answer, then dials the emergency number 112.

"In the beginning, there was a small path, then I lost it and I fell", explains the student to the operator, who then recalls it, without success.

© 2019 AFP