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Body of hiker that disappeared in the Austrian mountains found 60 years later

In August 2024, in a valley near Sölden (a town in the Tyrol region), an Austrian shepherd discovered the remains of a hiker. The hiker had disappeared nearly 60 years ago, during a mountain accident. 

DNA analysis identified the victim as a 30-year-old man from Germany. He had fallen into a crevasse in 1967.  At the time, poor weather conditions made it impossible to find him. 

In the Alps, the record melting observed by scientists as a result of global warming has led to the discovery of the remains of people who disappeared years or even decades ago. 

Erwin Voegele, a spokesman for the Austrian police, told AFP: “Receding glaciers, in this case the Wasserfallferner, uncover human remains. But it's rare that they can be identified, especially after so long.”

In Switzerland, in July 2023, the body of a German mountaineer missing since 1986 was found on the Théodule glacier (south).

(MH with AsD - Source: 20 Minutes - Illustration: Unsplash)

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