Mountain Guides Find The Bodies Of 3 Missing Climbers Frozen In Ice On Chimborazo
The frozen bodies of three climbers have been found on Ecuador’s Chimborazo volcano – a peak located approximately 150 km (93 mi) southwest of Quito. They are believed to be from a group of 7 French climbers and 3 Ecuadorian guides who went missing on the mountain after an avalanche on November 10, 1993. It is considered to be the worst climbing tragedy in the Ecuadorian Andes.
On Saturday, August 22, 2015, mountain guides found the bodies under a layer of ice at 5,650 meters (18,536′). The frozen climbers were still wearing their backpacks and their camera was found nearby.
The bodies were retrieved and sent to a forensic lab in Quito. Authorities are working with relatives to identify the bodies. They allowed the bodies to defrost before any further examinations could be conducted. This helped to prevent damage to the bodies and clothing, which might hold clues as to who the climbers are and how they died.
According to Ecuavisa.com, authorities used DNA samples and clothing to identify the climbers as Paulo Vinueza, Rodrigo Silva, and Christian Munchmeyer. RIP.
Chimborazo is a 20,565′ (6,268 m) volcano in the Andes mountain range of Ecuador. It is the highest peak in Ecuador and is a popular mountaineering objective. Chimborazo is also the mountain featured on the Ecuadorean flag.
Chimoborazo is a dormant volcano and has not erupted since 550 AD. Altitude, glaciers, crevasses, ice falls, and frequent avalanches make it a dangerous, yet popular, summit. Chimborazo was also the location of a 1976 plane crash where 59 passengers went missing. That plane wreckage was not found until 2003.
_______________________________________________
Read more about the missing climbers found on Chimborazo at:
_______________________________________________
