Over 200 Personal Belongings Found
Remains Returned to Family After 66 Years
A 25-year-old British man who went missing after falling into a crevasse in the Antarctic glacier has recently been found as bone fragments in the melting ice. After 66 years, his remains have finally been returned to his family.
According to Yonhap News on August 12, citing BBC and AFP, the remains have been identified as those of Dennis "Tink" Bell. Bell was a member of the British Antarctic Survey, stationed at a small base on King George Island, where he was tasked with meteorological observations.
Dennis Tink Bell (left) and colleagues in 1959, along with dogs that contributed to the Antarctic exploration mission. Photo by BAS website Yonhap News
Bell's duty was to launch weather balloons and report to the UK by radio every three hours. To do so, he had to operate a generator in subzero temperatures. Meticulously kept British Antarctic Survey reports from the time described Bell as "cheerful, industrious, with a sense of humor, and fond of pranks."
He disappeared while conducting a survey on King George Island, which is located 120 km from the Antarctic continent, after falling into a deep glacier crevasse. He was 25 years old at the time of the accident. "Bell Point" on King George Island (62°06'41" S, 58°51'56" W) was named in his honor.
Over 200 Personal Belongings Discovered
"Dennis Tingk Bell celebrating Christmas with colleagues at Admiralty Bay base in 1958. British Antarctic Survey website"
His body remained entombed in the glacier for 66 years until a Polish research team discovered his remains near the base in January of this year. It is reported that the remains were found as the glacier melted and shifted. At the site, more than 200 personal items were also recovered, including a radio, flashlight, ski pole, a wristwatch engraved with his name, and a knife.
Four Polish researchers carefully gathered Bell's remains through four separate expeditions. The bone fragments were found in a location different from where he went missing, which is believed to be due to the glacier's movement caused by climate change.
His remains were transported to the UK via the Falkland Islands and returned to his family. Bell's younger brother, 86-year-old David Bell, told the BBC, "I had long given up hope of finding my brother. This is truly astonishing."
Jane Francis, Director of the British Antarctic Survey, stated, "Dennis Bell was a courageous individual who dedicated himself to Antarctic science and exploration in extreme conditions. This discovery is a meaningful occasion that reminds us of his achievements and sacrifice."
Meanwhile, since 1944, a total of 29 people have died while carrying out scientific missions in the British Antarctic Territory.
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