Remains of long-lost German alpinist found on Swiss glacier

The remains of a German alpinist have been found on a Swiss glacier 37 years after his disappearance. Kapo Wallis

The remains of a German alpinist who went missing in 1986 have been found on a glacier in the Swiss Alps, according to a statement issued on Thursday by the Valais cantonal police.

The remains were analysed by the forensic medicine department of the Valais Hospital in Sion and researchers found that they belonged to the 38-year-old German alpinist who went missing while hiking near Zermatt. “A DNA comparison established that the remains were those of the climber who had been missing since September 1986,” said the Valais police.

The man never came back from his hike and searches proved unsuccessful at the time. But 37 years later, his remains have appeared again, together with his hiking boots and crampons.

+ Debris from 1968 plane crash found on Swiss glacier

As a result of global warming, more and more glaciers are retreating in Switzerland and objects, remains, but also people are being discovered.

This is what happened on July 12 on the Théodule glacier, in southern Switzerland, where some climbers discovered human remains and several pieces of equipment.

+ Skeletal human remains found in southern Swiss Alps

Some experts believe that more and more bodies and objects will emerge on Swiss glaciers as the huge ice sheets continue to retreat at an accelerating rate.