Authorities have announced that a melting glacier in the Swiss Alps exposed the remains of two Belgian mountaineers who disappeared over three decades ago. The discovery was made on the Trift Glacier, located in Switzerland’s Valais canton, on July 26.
A hiker noticed the remains after the glacier’s ice had melted sufficiently for them to be seen. The local police department in Valais reported the event and they quickly recovered the remains. They are currently undergoing identification at a forensic medicine institute in Sion.
DNA tests confirmed the remains to be those of two Belgian men who vanished in the Weissmies region in 1992 at ages 39 and 41. The Valais police department maintains records of missing persons dating back to 1925, with many involving individuals lost due to mountain or water-related incidents.
As glaciers continue to recede, remains that have been concealed by ice for decades often come to light, according to local authorities. Switzerland has witnessed similar findings over recent years. Earlier in 2023, DNA tests identified a body on a glacier near the Matterhorn that belonged to a German mountaineer missing since 1986.
Switzerland’s glacier melt rate is rising, a trend attributed by some experts to increasing global temperatures.
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