Melting Trift Glacier releases bodies of two Belgian mountaineers missing since 1992

The Trift Glacier is located in the canton of Valais and is among the glaciers that have lost particularly large amounts of mass over the past decades. Glaciologists have been documenting the retreat for years; again and again, the withdrawal of the ice reveals objects and human remains from earlier decades.

Consequences of glacier melt

In the Swiss Alps, similar finds have occurred repeatedly in recent years. At the neighboring Tsanfleuron Glacier as well, remains of alpinists were discovered in the recent past — some of whom had lain in the ice for decades. Such finds throw a spotlight on the long-term consequences of climate change for the high-mountain landscape.

Glacier melt changes not only the appearance of the Alps, but also the way missing persons are dealt with. Mountain guides and rescue services have observed for years that permafrost soils and glacier tongues are thawing and releasing more and more objects from earlier accidents.

According to the current state of the investigation, the two Belgians were traveling together when they failed to return from the Trift Glacier in the summer of 1992. Despite several search operations in the years that followed, they remained missing. Only the retreat of the glacier has now made recovery and unambiguous identification possible.

Indications of a 1992 accident

The public prosecutor's office in Sion stated that the next of kin had already been informed. The authorities gave no further information on the exact time of death or the cause of the accident. However, it is assumed that the men died in the mountains more than three decades ago.

The find on the Trift Glacier is part of an entire series of discoveries made in the Swiss Alps in recent years. Researchers see it as further evidence that the ice masses of the Alps are disappearing at an accelerated pace.

Significance for relatives and research

For the relatives, the find means at least clarity about the fate of the missing persons after decades of uncertainty, representatives of the authorities explained. At the same time, the procedure remains a silent testimony to the risks the high Alps already posed generations ago — and to the traces climate change is leaving today.

The Valais cantonal police and mountain rescue were involved in the recovery. According to the public prosecutor's office, the investigations into the exact course of the 1992 accident have since been completed.