A Taiwanese man who was missing on a mountain in Nepal for 47 days has been rescued, but his girlfriend died just three days before they were discovered, trekking officials have said.

Key points: The couple were caught in a snowstorm while trekking Ganesh Himal trail in March

The couple were caught in a snowstorm while trekking Ganesh Himal trail in March They fell over a waterfall and were unable to climb up or down to safety

They fell over a waterfall and were unable to climb up or down to safety Consumed only salt and water when food ran out after two weeks

Asian Trekking agency official Madhav Basnet said 21-year-old Liang Sheng Yueh was found on Wednesday on a ledge under a waterfall and was flown by helicopter to a hospital in the capital, Kathmandu.

He said the body of Mr Liang's girlfriend, 19-year-old Liu Chen Chun, was also taken to the capital.

The couple were on a long trek on the Ganesh Himal trail, which is not as crowded as other popular routes, and were caught in a snowstorm in March and lost their way.

According to Mr Basnet, they appeared to have followed a river hoping to find a village but slipped and fell over a waterfall at an altitude of 2,600 metres.

They landed on the ledge and were unable to climb up or down.

Mr Basnet said the weather improved a few days after the snowstorm, but conditions remained difficult.

They had no guides or porters and were carrying their own food, tent and sleeping bags.

For the first two weeks they survived on food they had in their backpacks but after that they consumed only salt and water, he said.

Rescuers first scoured the area for two weeks before suspending their search, but resumed the search on April 20.

Map A map showing where Liang Sheng Yueh was found, in relation to Kathmandu and Mt Everest.

Mr Basnet said they spotted a red tent and managed to climb down.

"We found the man alive and able to speak to us, but the woman was already dead. We could not carry them so we called a helicopter," Mr Basnet said.

Mr Liang was winched up by the helicopter and immediately flown to Kathmandu, followed by the body of Liu Chen Chun.

Mr Liang appeared to be in good health in the emergency room.

Clouds rush over a peak in the Himalayas. ( Courtesy of Alfred Gregory )

"He appears exhausted and lost some 30 kilograms of body weight," said Ajay Singh Thapa, a doctor at the Grande Hospital.

"He was suffering from severe malnutrition. His foot was covered with maggots and hair full of lice," he said.

"Despite having to live like that for 47 days, he appears to be mostly normal."

He said Mr Liang probably survived because he was able to get both salt and water in his body.

Last year, an Australian hiker who was lost in a remote Malaysian national park for two weeks said he resorted to eating wild ferns to survive.

A seven-year-old Japanese boy's survival story last year in a bear-inhabited forest, after his parents left him by the roadside to discipline him, also made headlines across the world.

A family member gives water to Liang Sheng Yueh at the Grande Hospital in Kathmandu ( AP: Niranjan Shrestha )

AP