Remains of British meteorologist found in Antarctica 66 years after fatal expedition

The remains of a British meteorologist who died during an Antarctic expedition in 1959 have been recovered more than six decades later from a glacier, the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) announced on August 11.

DNA testing confirmed the remains as those of Dennis "Tink" Bell, who was 25 when he died while working for the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey, the forerunner of the BAS. Bell lost his life on July 26, 1959, on Admiralty Bay, King George Island, located about 120 kilometres (75 miles) off the coast of Antarctica, ScienceAlert writes. 

Bell had been stationed on the island for a two-year posting at a small UK research base. He and three colleagues set out to climb and survey a glacier when he fell into a crevasse. Despite search efforts, his body was never recovered.

The remains, exposed by a receding glacier, were discovered on January 19 by a team from the Henryk Arctowski Polish Antarctic Station near the Ecology Glacier. Alongside the bone fragments, more than 200 personal items were found, including radio equipment, a flashlight, ski poles, an inscribed wristwatch and a Swedish-brand knife.

"This discovery brings closure to a decades-long mystery and reminds us of the human stories embedded in the history of Antarctic science," said BAS director Jane Francis.

The bone fragments were transported to the Falkland Islands aboard the BAS Royal Research Ship Sir David Attenborough, before being sent to London for DNA analysis.

Bell's brother, David Bell, who lives in Australia, said the news after 66 years left him and his sister "shocked and amazed".

"Dennis was the oldest of three siblings and was my hero as he seemed to be able to turn his hand to anything," he said.

Francis described the identification as “both a poignant and profound moment for all of us at British Antarctic Survey”.

Bell "was one of the many brave … personnel who contributed to the early science and exploration of Antarctica under extraordinarily harsh conditions," she added.

By Sabina Mammadli