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Swiss Authorities Identify Remains Found on Ober Gabelhorn, Closing 1994 Climbing Case

Police say the recovery reflects retreating glaciers that are exposing long-missing mountaineers.

Overview

  • Mountaineers discovered human remains on Oct. 15 on the Ober Gabelhorn glacier above Zinal, according to Valais cantonal police.
  • Officers were flown by helicopter to secure the bones and personal effects, and prosecutors opened an inquiry that confirmed the identity.
  • The deceased was a Swiss citizen born in 1969 who vanished with another climber on Nov. 4, 1994.
  • Police said one climber was recovered in 2000 and that identifying the second "fully solved the mystery" of the pair’s disappearance.
  • Recent reports note more such recoveries as Alpine ice recedes, including cases in Antarctica, Pakistan, and Peru.