The remains of a German mountain climber who disappeared while hiking along a glacier near Switzerland’s iconic Matterhorn mountain in 1986 have been recovered, as melting glaciers have led to the reemergence of bodies and objects thought to be long lost.
The grisly discovery was made on July 12 by climbers hiking along the Theodul Glacier in Zermatt, police in the Valais canton said on Thursday.
“DNA analysis enabled the identification of a mountain climber, who had been missing since 1986,” the police said in a statement.
“In September 1986, a German climber, who was 38 at the time, had been reported missing
