In brief
The Trift Glacier’s rapid melt has revealed the bodies of two Belgian men who vanished near Switzerland’s Weissmies peak in 1992. A hiker discovered the remains on 26 July, and DNA tests confirmed the identities. Scientists say Switzerland’s glaciers have retreated a quarter of their size since the 2010s, a trend linked to global warming. The find echoes a 2023 discovery of a German climber’s remains, underscoring the growing danger of climate change to mountain activities.
A hiker on the Trift Glacier south of Lucerne found two bodies on 26 July, sparking a Swiss police investigation.
The missing men were Belgian mountaineers who vanished near the 4,000‑metre Weissmies peak in 1992. DNA analysis later confirmed the bodies as those of a 39‑year‑old and a 41‑year‑old who disappeared then.
Experts attribute the glacier’s rapid retreat—an estimated 25 % loss over the past decade—to climate change. 2025 data from Glamos show an additional 3 % shrinkage that year, following record ice loss in 2022 and 2023.
Valais officials coordinated a recovery operation and transported the remains to Sion for identification. Notably, a 2023 finding of a German climber’s legacy at the Matterhorn region was similarly proven by DNA, another testimony to glaciers revealing long‑lost stories.
The Swiss’s dramatic ice melt threatens ski resorts and climbing routes, raising concerns about future safety in alpine environments. Climate‑minded policies and timely rescue protocols will be crucial as temperatures climb and glaciers recede at alarming speeds.
