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2d ago

DNA Confirms Identity of British Meteorologist Found in Antarctic Glacier

Repatriation under coroner supervision offers Bell’s relatives closure following confirmation of his remains.

Undated handout photo issued by British Antarctic Survey of Dennis Bell (right) christmas festivities with colleagues from Admiralty Bay Station, c.1958.
Undated handout photo issued by British Antarctic Survey of Dennis Bell (left) with his fellow colleagues and the dogs that helped them to work in Antarctica - Midwinter 1959 at Admiralty Bay Base.
Undated handout photo issued by British Antarctic Survey of Admiralty Bay Base on King George Island in 1951 where Dennis Bell was working.
Ecology Glacier on Antarctica’s King George Island in winter, where the body of Dennis “Tink” Bell was recovered

Overview

  • DNA testing at King’s College London matched bone fragments recovered in January to samples from Dennis “Tink” Bell’s brother and sister, definitively identifying the 66-year-old remains.
  • A Polish team from the Henryk Arctowski Station uncovered more than 200 personal artefacts alongside the bones at the edge of Ecology Glacier on King George Island.
  • The remains were carried by the BAS research ship Sir David Attenborough to the Falklands and then flown to London under the oversight of His Majesty’s Coroner and RAF support.
  • Bell’s family have been formally notified of the DNA results and are expressing gratitude for the meticulous recovery and considering how best to honour his memory.
  • Researchers note that the find highlights how glacier retreat can expose long-lost material and underscores the human risks of early Antarctic exploration.