Glacier Melt Uncovers Man Missing for 28 Years

A 28-year-old mystery in Pakistan's Kohistan region has ended with the discovery of a missing man's body, preserved in ice. A shepherd recently came across the remains while traversing the Lady Valley. Not only was the body and its clothing seemingly unchanged, but a well-preserved ID card gave officials a name, reports the BBC: Naseeruddin. Police quickly matched to a disappearance dating back to June 1997, when Naseeruddin vanished into a glacier crack during a snowstorm after traveling on horseback with his brother. Despite searches at the time, Naseeruddin was never found—until now.

Authorities say the glacier's icy grip essentially froze time, preserving Naseeruddin's body and belongings. Experts note that extreme cold and a lack of oxygen inside the glacier prevented decomposition, effectively mummifying the body. But the region has seen less snowfall than usual lately, which means its glaciers are subject to more sunlight, which speeds up their melt. In this case, that revealed what the ice had hidden for nearly three decades. ExplorersWeb reports a DNA test will be conducted, but that Naseeruddin's family—he had a wife and two children—were able to identify him.