Climbers discovered the remains of a hiker who had been missing for 37 years while exploring a glacier in Switzerland, the BBC reports.
A group of climbers found the remains on the Theodul glacier in Zermatt, Switzerland, as it melted in early July, according to the BBC. They reportedly noticed a hiking boot and crampons poking up from the surface of the ice, and further DNA analysis revealed the body belonged to a German climber who went missing in 1986. Previous expeditions for the man’s rescue were unsuccessful, as investigators were unable to find traces of the climber.
Police reports did not reveal the climber’s name but stated he was 38 when he went missing, the outlet reported. (RELATED: Two Climbers Tragically Fall To Death While Attempting To Climb 3,560 Foot Tall Mountain)
DNA tests have confirmed the remains found on Switzerland’s iconic Matterhorn mountain belonged to a German man who went missing 37 years ago https://t.co/av3xncy6dH
— Sky News (@SkyNews) July 28, 2023
Glaciers in the Alps have progressively receded with the years, the BBC reported, revealing corpses of climbers who went missing in the last decades.
A helicopter pilot found the body of British climber Jonathan Conville while dropping off provisions at a refuge over the Matterhorn glacier in Switzerland, according to the BBC. Cornville went missing in 1979, and his family later said he died in a “bittersweet” place upon the recovery of Cornville’s body.
Two Japanese climbers were found on the glacier in 2015 after going missing in a snowstorm in 1970, according to the BBC.