Mountaineers regularly risk life and limb to reach the summit of some of the tallest and most treacherous mountains.
Unfortunately, when some don’t make it, people are often unable to retrieve the body or bring it back down with them due to the difficult terrain.
On Mount Everest, these bodies even become landmarks, helping to guide climbers in the right direction.
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Another risky challenge can be taken by attempting to summit Huascarán, Peru’s highest peak at 22,205 ft tall. It was in this area that Bill Stampfl was last seen 22 years ago.
Who was Bill Stampfl and what happened to him?
In 2002, the 58-year-old was climbing the mountain when he got caught up in an avalanche.
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For the last two decades, his friends and family have grieved their loss without knowing where Stampfl’s body is.
But in June 2024, a group of mountaineers stumbled across his mummified corpse after ice melting made him visible.
Ryan Cooper and Wesley Waren were descending back down from the peak after failing to reach the summit when they noticed something unusual on the ice.
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On further look, the pair discovered that it was a human body still wearing a jacket, boots, helmet, and a gold wedding ring.
On his body, they also found an identification card as well as a camera and a passport.
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Speaking to CNN, Cooper said: “Someone loved him, and someone wanted him to come home. As soon as I found out he was an American climber, I knew we had a responsibility to track down the family and give them the news.”
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Rescue crews have since been able to remove Stampfl’s body from the mountain. His remains are being prepared to be sent home where he will finally be laid to rest.
'He loved the mountains'
Talking to CNN about her late husband, Janet Stampfl-Raymer said: “He was a kind man. He was humble. He loved God, and he loved the mountains. He enjoyed it so much.
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“He said he always felt closest to God when he got to the top of the mountain.”
Talking to The New York Times, his daughter, Jennifer Stampfl added: “It almost was kind of surreal. One day he’s here and one day he’s not. And we don’t know where he is.”
After being disappointed at the time that he hadn’t reached the top of the mountain, Cooper told The New York Times: “I realized I wasn’t meant to summit. I was meant to find Bill.”