Hiker Reunited with Backpack 63 Years After Glacier Incident
An 86-year-old Bavarian man has been reunited with his backpack and climbing equipment after they emerged from the melting Sulztalferner glacier in Austria, more than 60 years after he abandoned them during a hiking accident. The items were discovered in July 2026 at an altitude of 2,955 meters (9,700 feet) above sea level.
The backpack contained an ice axe, camera, pipe, whistle, and documents dating back to the 1950s and 1960s. The man, who was identified through a frayed name on the documents, confirmed that he had thrown the backpack into a crevasse in August 1963 to lighten his load after falling into the glacier while roped with friends.
The equipment was formally returned to the man on August 25, 2026, but due to his ill health, the items were handed over to him via his son.
This incident highlights the broader trend of rapidly retreating glaciers in Europe, driven by human-caused global warming, which are unveiling relics from the past. Similar discoveries include Ötzi the Iceman, found in 1991, who is approximately 5,300 years old.