Vienna  - Hanging on with one leg, an Austrian ski-lift worker survived a 250-metre ride dangling upside down from a chairlift on Saturday, Austrian broadcaster ORF reported Sunday.

The man had loaded a sledge onto the lift in the Tyrolean ski resort of Imst, when his leg caught in the sledge's strap. He was rescued unhurt after skiers noticed his plight and informed the lift operator.

The ski-lift worker would likely have died had he fallen off during the ride, the lift's manager, Bernhard Schoepf, told ORF. dpa