Frozen in Time: Missing American Mountaineer Found Mummified in Peru After 22 Years

New Delhi: The preserved body of William Stampfl, an American mountaineer who disappeared 22 years ago while climbing in Peru, has been uncovered due to ice melt induced by climate change, Peruvian police announced Monday.

Stampfl, aged 59 at the time, went missing in June 2002 when an avalanche buried his climbing party on Mount Huascaran, which stands over 6,700 meters (22,000 feet) tall. Initial search and rescue efforts were unsuccessful.

According to Peruvian authorities, his remains were recently revealed by the melting ice in the Cordillera Blanca range of the Andes. His body, clothing, harness, and boots were well-preserved by the cold conditions, as shown by police-released images. His identity was confirmed through his passport, found among his possessions. 

The mountains of northeastern Peru, including peaks like Huascaran and Cashan, are renowned destinations for mountaineers globally.

In a similar event, the body of an Israeli hiker was found in May, nearly a month after he had gone missing in the same area. Last month, an experienced Italian climber was found dead after falling while attempting to scale another peak in the Andes.