Archive · 20 Aug 2026
Glacier Melt Reveals Two Belgian Hikers Missing Since 1992
Two Belgian hikers disappeared in the Swiss Alps in 1992.
They were 39 and 41 years old at the time.
More than 30 years later, a hiker found human remains near the Trift glacier.
The glacier had melted and exposed the remains.
Scientists used DNA tests to identify the two people.
The hikers had gone missing near the Weissmies mountain.
Swiss officials keep records of people who have been missing for many years.
Similar discoveries have happened before as glaciers melt.
Scientists say global warming is helping cause the faster melting.
Human remains found near Switzerland’s Trift glacier were identified as two Belgian mountaineers.
The hikers, aged 39 and 41 at the time, disappeared near Weissmies in 1992.
A hiker discovered the remains late last month after the glacier retreated.
DNA testing at a Valais hospital confirmed the identities.
Officials say such discoveries are becoming more frequent as Swiss glaciers melt faster.
- Who
- Two Belgian mountaineers who disappeared in 1992, aged 39 and 41 at the time.
- What
- Their remains were found and identified through DNA testing.
- When
- The remains were discovered late last month; the hikers disappeared in 1992.
- Where
- Near the Trift glacier in Switzerland; the hikers had gone missing near Weissmies.
- Why
- Glacier retreat exposed the remains, amid increasingly rapid glacier melting.
- Identified people
- Two Belgian hikers
- Year of disappearance
- 1992
- Ages when missing
- 39 and 41
- Discovery site
- Trift glacier, Switzerland
- Identification method
- DNA testing at a Valais hospital
- Earlier comparable case
- A German mountaineer who disappeared in 1986 was identified from remains found near the Matterhorn three years ago
- Reported cause of increased discoveries
- Accelerating glacier melt, which scientists link to global warming