Frozen and almost lifeless, that was how an American teen was found lying near China's Xu River after getting dumped by a woman he fell in love with online.

The 18-year-old, named by his surname Pratt, left his home in the state of Ohio and traveled 7,000 miles to Jiangshan in the Zhejiang province of China.

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Pratt's mission was to find the Chinese woman who captured his heart over the internet.

But the love story took an awful turn when his online ladylove brushed him off when they met.

Pratt, who resorted to drinking alcohol, was found unconscious and suffering from hypothermia on a staircase leading down to the Xu River in Zhejiang.

A Cheng Bei Police Station spokesman said "He was unconscious and lying in a pool of his own vomit. It looks as if he might have fallen in the water at some stage as his clothes and shoes were soaked."

Police said the incident was the teen's close brush with death. "To be honest he was so inebriated, he could easily have drowned. It was only a short distance to the water.' Cheng Bei Police said.

Pratt regained consciousness at a local hospital.  There he admitted not even knowing the girl's real name and that he only knew her online nickname "Xiaoqian".

Pratt said he fell in love with the girl's perfect English and her beautiful photographs.  As their online relationship went on, he promised to visit her in China.

But authorities said the woman may not have taken him seriously.  Investigators confirmed that Pratt had been trying to reach the girl through his mobile phone.

Pratt's calls were later blocked by the girl after he was told to leave her alone. Despite hearing about Pratt's condition from the police, the girl still refused to meet him.

Authorities kept a close watch on Pratt up until he boarded the plane back to the United States.

Tagslovesick, depressed teen, online dating