Today in History - April 19: Teen locked in cell and forgotten about for 19 days
April 19
An 18-year-old Austrian man set an unwanted world record and came incredibly close to death on April 19, 1979.
Andreas Mihavecz was mistakenly arrested and placed in a holding cell in the small Austrian town of Hochst on April 1 that year.
But all three policemen in that town believed someone else had released the man once it became apparent he was innocent.
And so unbeknownst to anyone, Mihavecz was trapped in the soundproof holding cell for weeks.
Mihavecz licked condensation off the walls of the cell for water, but had nothing to eat.
During that time, his mother filed a missing person's report for him, with the officer taking her statement not realising Mihavecz was in the building.
Then on April 19, an officer noticed a stench coming from the cell and opened the door, to find Mihavecz lying on the floor.
Doctors were able to save his life, but revealed he had lost 24kg.
He still holds the Guinness World Record for surviving the longest without food or water.
The three policemen were fined but a court determined none of them was individually to blame.
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