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Glacier Yields 63-Year-Old Lost Backpack
29 Aug
Summary
- A mountaineer's backpack, lost in 1963, was found in an Austrian glacier.
- Personal items including an ice axe and camera were preserved for over six decades.
- The discovery allowed the owner's son to reflect on his family's existence.
A backpack lost by a Bavarian man during a terrifying mountain accident in 1963 has re-emerged from Austria's Sulztalferner glacier. Discovered by an alpinist on July 16, 2026, at nearly 9,700 feet, the weathered pack contained an ice axe and camera from the 1950s or 60s.
Investigators identified the owner, an 86-year-old man, who recalled falling into a crevasse during a climb with friends on August 4, 1963. He survived by using Prusik loops and shedding his backpack to lighten his load.
The recovered belongings were given to his son on August 25, 2026, as the owner could not travel. The son conveyed deep thanks and reflected on how his father's survival shaped their family's existence.
