Climber Went 32 Years Missing, Body Finally Found on Mont Blanc
A climber missing for 32 years was finally found on Mont Blanc in the French Alps Thursday, according to local reports. The body of Patrice Hyvert, who was last seen on March 1, 1982, was discovered frozen by two other climbers who were scaling the rocky cliffs.
The climber missing for 32 years was found on the Mont Blanc massif, local newspaper Le Dauphine Libere reported. Hyvert's body was preserved in the ice at about 2,687 meters (8,815 feet), and when the two climbers stumbled upon it sticking up from the ground, they called police.
The body was transported to Chamonix. There, Authorities confirmed that the body was indeed Hyvert's because his identification in his wallet was still on his person and preserved as well.
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Hyvert's parents told local reporters that their then 23-year-old son intended to scale Aiguille Verte, known for being the highest mountain in the Alps, then ski down. However, not long after his journey began, snow began to fall. The inclement weather ground rescue choppers for several days before they could begin searching for Hyvert, and by the time they were able to act, they managed to save another climbers stranded in the area, Jean-Marc Boivin.
Though Hyvert's parents were shocked to know that their son had finally been found, his father, Gerard, said he would rather his son's body was left on Mont Blanc.
"I'm a mountain man, and I would have preferred him to stay up there," the 82-year-old told RTL radio. "He was better on the mountain than in a coffin. He was in his element."
Rescuers are currently looking for two climbers that disappeared on Sunday. Mont Blanc has claimed many lives over the years, earning the reputation as the statistically deadliest mountain in Europe.
