Missing American Climber Found Mummified 22 Years Later On Mountain In Peru After Being Buried By Avalanche
22 years ago, U.S. mountaineer William Stampfl and his two friends, Steve Erskine and Matthew Richardson, went out to summit Mount Huascaran in Peru.
It’s one of the highest peaks in the Andes and is the 4th highest mountain in South America. It’s a fairly popular climb and it usually takes climbers at least one week to reach the top.
Sadly, back in 2002 when William and his friends attempted the climb, there was a massive avalanche. They were buried under the snow, and while Steve’s body was found a short time later, William and Matthew were never found.
That is until now. Matthew’s body is still missing, but a group of climbers discovered William’s mummified body recently about 5,200 meters up the 6,768-meter mountain. For reference, 5,200 meters is roughly 17,000 feet.
Unclear how exactly people stumbled upon William, but cops say his body and clothes were preserved by the ice, snow and freezing climate … and he had his California driver’s license with him. Graphic images show William’s body twisted around and lying on the surface of the ice … he’s still wearing his climbing gear, including some climbing boots.
Pretty crazy that his belongings were preserved by the freezing temps. That’s truly incredible. To be able to identify someone that easily 22 years after their death? Wow.
