Mountaineer's body found in Peru after 22 years
A US citizen was buried under an avalanche in the Andes in 2002. After decades, the melting glacier, as a result of climate change, unearthed his remains. Luckily, the corpse was identified quickly.
In Peru, the mummified body of a US mountaineer was found, who had disappeared 22 years ago while mountain climbing in the Andes. According to the police statement on Monday, the remains of William Stampfl were discovered in the Cordillera Blanca mountain range due to the glacier melting as part of the climate change.
Besides his body, the cold also preserved his clothing, his mountaineering boots, and his equipment. Stampfl was 59 years old and had been buried under an avalanche at the over 6700-meter-high Huascarán in June 2002. Rescue teams had unsuccessfully searched for him at the time.
He was identified through his well-preserved passport. The mountains in northeastern Peru and their snow-capped peaks, such as Huascarán and Cashan, are a popular destination for mountain climbers from around the world.
In May, the body of an Israeli mountaineer was found in the region, who had gone missing nearly a month earlier. In June, an Italian mountaineer was found dead during a summit tour.
The discovery of William Stampfl's remains sparked international interest, as he was a well-known mountaineer from the United States. The news of the missing person turned into a recovery story, bringing hope to his family and friends in Lima. The police and local authorities worked closely with international mountaineering organizations to ensure a proper investigation and respectful handling of the body finds in the Peruvian Andes.
