In brief
A Swiss police recovery team confirmed two missing Belgian mountaineers after their bodies were uncovered by the Trift Glacier’s rapid retreat. DNA tests matched the 39‑ and 41‑year‑old climbers who vanished near the Weissmies peak in 1992. Scientists attribute the glacier’s rapid shrinkage to climate change, with a 25 % loss reported by Glamos in 2025. The find follows a 2023 discovery of a German climber’s remains on a nearby glacier. The continued melt threatens Swiss ski resorts and alpine activities.
A Swiss police recovery team confirmed the long‑time missing cases of two Belgian mountaineers after their bodies were uncovered by the Trift Glacier’s rapid retreat.
The bodies were first spotted on 26 July 2026 during a routine glacier survey south of Lucerne. DNA tests later matched the remains to 39‑ and 41‑year‑old climbers who vanished near the Weissmies peak in 1992.
Scientists say the glacier’s shrinkage – a quarter of its 2014 area by 2025 – reflects a clear warming trend in the Alps. The Swiss federal glacier‑monitoring agency Glamos recorded an additional 3 % loss in 2025 alone.
The incident follows a 2023 find where a German climber’s remnants were identified on a nearby glacier. Climate‑driven ice loss has also threatened Swiss ski resorts and alpine sports in recent years.
