British explorer Dennis Bell, missing since 1959 in Antarctica, was found in a glacier after 65 years. His family expressed shock, relief, and gratitude at his long-awaited return.
In 1959, a 25-year-old British explorer, Dennis Bell died in an accident in Antarctica. Now, 65 years later, his body is found inside a melting glacier. He was working for what's now called the British Antarctic Survet and fell into a crevasse on duty.
In January, his remains, including a radio, a wristwatch and pipe were found by a Polish Antarctic expedition. The news shocked the family as they had lost all hope of ever finding his body. They found bones scattered on ice and rocks, and they marked the site with GPS coordinates. Later, they came back to collect the remains after four trips.
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"I had long given up on finding my brother. It is just remarkable, astonishing. I can't get over it," said Dennis' brother David Bell in an interview with BBC News.
The director of the British Antarctic Survey, Prof. Dame Jane Francis sees Bell as a courageous member of the early Antarctic exploration team.
Dennis Bells, also known as 'Tink', was born in 1934. He was training as a meteorologist while he worked with the Royal Air Force. He joined the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey in 1958. He was stationed at Admiralty Bay on King George Island, where he mainly launched weather balloons and sent reports to the UK every three hours.
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Bell lost his life during a surveying trip after falling through a crevasse. His partner, Jeff Stokes, tried to save him with a rope, but it broke and Bell fell into the crevasse again. After that, when Stokes called for him, Bell did not respond.
Bell's brother and sister will now visit England to bury his dead body. “I’m just sad my parents never got to see this day,” David said. “It’s wonderful; I’m going to meet my brother. You might say we shouldn’t be thrilled, but we are. He’s been found...he’s come home now,” he added.
