The bodies of two hikers missing for 34 years were discovered after a Swiss glacier melted, according to police in the Valais region; DNA analysis confirmed they were Belgian mountaineers who disappeared in 1992. The men were aged 39 and 41 at the time of their disappearance, and their remains were found on the Trift Glacier on July 26, 2025.

Glacier Melting and Climate Change

Many scientists attribute a rapid retreat in Switzerland’s glaciers—shrunk by a quarter in the decade to 2025, according to Glacier Monitoring in Switzerland (Glamos),to climate change. The Weissmies mountain, near where the hikers went missing, is a popular mountaineering spot in the Saas Valley, a hiker initially spotted the remains, which were then recovered and sent to a forensic medicine institute at a hospital in Sion for identification.

This is not the first time melting glaciers have exposed the remains of those who vanished decades ago. In 2023, human remains found on a glacier near the Matterhorn were confirmed to be those of a German climber who had been missing since 1986. The rate of glacier shrinkage has been increasing globally since the 1990s and at a particularly accelerated rate since 2000, according to the European Commission’s monitoring body Copernicus. In 2025, Switzerland saw a further glacier reduction of 3%, following record years of ice loss in 2022 and 2023.

Regional Missing Persons Database

Valais police maintain a database of missing people dating back to 1925, as the majority of cases involve people who disappeared in the mountains or in rivers and other bodies of water. The discovery of these two hikers’ bodies adds to a pattern in which glacier melt has revealed previously untraceable remains, Regional authorities said this trend is expected to continue as the climate continues to warm.

Authorities have organized several recovery operations in recent years; the remains are often transferred to the hospital in Sion for identification; this process is critical for providing closure to families and for updating historical records. Police emphasized that climate-driven glacier retreat will likely lead to more discoveries of long-missing individuals.

Broader Climate Trends

The Weissmies mountain, where the two hikers vanished, peaks at over 4,000 meters, as the Trift Glacier, where their bodies were found, is one of many in the region affected by ongoing climate change. Scientists have long warned that the Alps are particularly vulnerable to warming trends, with glaciers in Switzerland expected to continue retreating at an accelerated pace; the Glamos agency continues to monitor and report on these changes, providing data that informs both national and international climate policy discussions.

Authorities expect the rate of glacier shrinkage to continue, which could lead to more revelations in the coming years; While these discoveries offer long-awaited answers for families, they also show the broader environmental changes occurring across the globe. As temperatures rise, the icy vaults of the Swiss Alps continue to give up their secrets, revealing the remains of those lost to nature decades ago.