A mountain guide taking explorers across a glacier in Austria stumbled upon a grisly discovery: the body of a man believed to have died more than 20 years ago. He was released from his icy tomb thanks to the melting glacier, police shared.
The guide was on Schlatenkees glacier in the Tyrol province when he stumbled upon the human remains at an altitude of approximately 2,900 meters, according to a report from CNN. Police shared that the guide immediately contacted the local authorities, and the remains were recovered by helicopter.
Police shared that the man is believed to have been on the glacier in 2000, traveling with ski touring equipment when he had an accident, The Guardian reported.
Glaciers melt and refreeze over time, and with recent warm temperatures, objects and bodies can be revealed, CNN reported.
Just last month, the body of a German mountain climber who went missing 37 years ago was found in Switzerland, ABC News reported.
However, officials in Austria did note that these findings are rare.
“It is rather rare that human remains and an entire corpse are found on a glacier within such a short period of time,” Tyrol police spokesperson Christian Viehweider told the AFP news agency.
As for the remains found in Austria, police shared that a backpack and the belongings on the body, including cash, a bank card, and a driver’s license, helped tentatively identify the 37-year-old Austrian.
Still, DNA testing will be conducted to fully confirm the identity of the remains.
Results from a DNA test will take a “few weeks” to be delivered, officials shared.
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