A young German tourist was rescued when he fainted and tumbled down steps leading to a cave in Thailand.

Eden Lorel, 19, was climbing up the Tiger Cave Temple with friends when he reportedly passed out and hit his head in Krabi, Thailand, on January 10.

The young lad slipped from the 1,169th step to the 1,143rd step on the steep cliffside, where he slammed into the concrete, knocking him unconscious.

He was bleeding and suffered neck injuries when rescue officers found him on the upper level of the trail.

Footage shows the tourist lying down on the steep concrete as rescue volunteers applied first aid to him. He was then carried on a stretcher before the group descended from the 1,260-step attraction.

Police Sub-Lieutenant Nirun Khemakorn said: ‘The officers received a report from the temple's security staff. We sent a team who checked on him and found he had a head wound and complained of severe neck pains.'

Another tourist from the group claimed she was a nurse and immediately applied first aid on the lad when they found him collapsed.

Temple caretaker Chamras Srisuwan, one of the first locals to arrive at the scene, said Lorel was saved by the handrails that prevented him from falling further down the cliff.

He said: ‘The weather was hit, and he might have been exhausted when he passed out and fell. He was caught by the rails.'

The rescue team had to switch carrying the tourist and descend the thousand steps.

Police Sub-Lieutenant Nirun added the tourist would stay at the hospital during recovery.

He said: ‘He was taken to Krabi Hospital, where he was given further treatments. He needed x-rays but was conscious throughout the operation.'