Full Breakdown
Belgian Hikers Identified After 34 Years on Switzerland’s Trift Glacier
8/21/2026, 12:03:31 PM
Discovery and Identification
On July 26, 2026, a hiker on the Trift Glacier near Saas-Grund discovered human remains exposed by melting ice. Police recovered the bodies and sent them to the Institute of Forensic Medicine at Valais Hospital in Sion for DNA analysis. The analysis confirmed the remains belonged to two Belgian mountaineers who vanished in the Weissmies region in 1992. Belgian newspapers identified them as Marcel Bastyns and Jos Van Deun, who were 39 and 41 at the time of their disappearance.
Background of the 1992 Expedition
The climbers set out on September 3, 1992, from the Weissmies hut and sought shelter overnight at the Weissmies Hut (2,726 m). They departed on the morning of September 4, 1992, aiming for the Almageller Hut and the summit of Weissmies (4,017 m). Poor weather forced them to abandon the ascent, and they never reached the summit. Searches recovered only a backpack.
Glacier Melt and Emerging Remains
The Trift Glacier, like many Swiss glaciers, has been retreating rapidly. Scientists attribute the accelerated melt to rising Alpine temperatures, with GLAMOS data showing a 24 % loss of total glacier volume between 2015 and 2025 and a 10 % loss in each of 2022 and 2023. Police note that retreating ice is increasingly uncovering remains of people who disappeared decades earlier.
Historical Context of Similar Finds
In 2023, DNA testing identified a German mountaineer who disappeared in 1986 near the Matterhorn. In 2022, parts of a 1968 Piper Cherokee crash were recovered from the Aletsch glacier. The previous year, a Swiss climber missing since 1994 was found on the Ober Gabelhorn glacier. Earlier cases include Japanese climbers lost on the Matterhorn in 1970 and British climber Jonathan Conville, missing since 1979.
Official Responses
A police statement confirmed the DNA match and linked the discovery to glacier retreat. Valais cantonal police highlighted their missing-person database, maintained since 1925, as essential for matching newly uncovered remains. The Institute of Forensic Medicine reported that a direct DNA comparison formally established the identities.
Why It Matters
The identification resolves a 34-year mystery for the families of Bastyns and Van Deun, providing closure after decades of uncertainty. It also underscores how climate-driven glacier melt is affecting forensic investigations and alpine safety.
Data & Statistics
- Ages at disappearance: 39 and 41 years.
- Elevation of Weissmies summit: 4,017 m (13,179 ft); Almageller Hut: 2,894 m (9,494 ft).
- Glacier volume loss: 24 % (2015-2025); 10 % loss each in 2022 and 2023 (GLAMOS).
- Valais missing-person records date back to 1925.
