Story perspectives

DNA confirms two Belgian climbers’ deaths on Trift Glacier

8/22/2026

Summary

Story summary

Swiss police recovered two Belgian climbers’ bodies on the Trift Glacier.
DNA testing at Valais Hospital confirmed they were 39- and 41-year-old Belgians missing since 1992.
They left Weissmies hut on 4 September 1992 and were forced into a crevasse by severe weather.
The discovery highlights accelerating glacier melt, with Swiss ice loss in 2026 matching the record year 2022.
Valais police keep a missing-persons register from 1925, and glacier finds rose.

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Story summary

Swiss police recovered two Belgian climbers’ bodies on the Trift Glacier.
DNA testing at Valais Hospital confirmed they were 39- and 41-year-old Belgians missing since 1992.
They left Weissmies hut on 4 September 1992 and were forced into a crevasse by severe weather.
The discovery highlights accelerating glacier melt, with Swiss ice loss in 2026 matching the record year 2022.
Valais police keep a missing-persons register from 1925, and glacier finds rose.