Swiss Glacier Melt Yields Lost Hiker Skulls Found After 34 Years

Sun Sep 06 2026 08:07:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Two missing 1992 hikers in Swiss Alps discovered after glacier melts—nature’s reminder of climate change’s impact.

For the first time since 1992, two Belgian hikers vanished near Weissmies mountain in the Swiss Alps were found on the Trift glacier after the ice melted away months earlier. DNA tests confirm the bodies belonged to 39‑ and 41‑year‑old climbers Paul Dupont and Eric Leroux, who disappeared during a summit attempt that winter. Swiss glaciers have been rapidly retreating, with a 2025 report showing the country’s ice shrinking a quarter since 2015, linked to rising temperatures. The find follows a 2023 discovery of a German climber’s remains on a Matterhorn glacier, highlighting how melt can reveal decades‑old mysteries.

Swiss Glacier Melt Yields Lost Hiker Skulls Found After 34 Years

For the first time since 1992, Swiss police recovered the bodies of two Belgian hikers who vanished near the Weissmies mountain in the Alps. They were found on the Trift glacier on 26 July, after the ice melted away months earlier.

DNA tests confirm the bodies belong to 39‑ and 41‑year‑old climbers Paul Dupont and Eric Leroux, who disappeared while attempting a summit route that winter.

Glaciers in Switzerland have been retreating fast. A 2025 report shows the country’s ice cover shrinking a quarter since 2015, a trend tied to rising average temperatures.

The discovery follows a 2023 find of a German climber’s remains on a Matterhorn glacier, showing glacial melt can reveal decades‑old mysteries.

Scientists warn that thinner ice leaves alpine skiers exposed to more unseasonable heat, threatening the viability of ski resorts and the region’s tourism economy.