The British Antarctic Survey has confirmed that the remains found in January this year belong to meteorologist Dennis "Tink" Bell, who died in 1959 during an expedition in Antarctica. The body, which disappeared 66 years ago, was identified thanks to the DNA of his brother and sister. This was reported by UNN with reference to FoxNews.
Details
The British Antarctic Survey announced that "the remains of 25-year-old meteorologist Dennis "Tink" Bell were found 66 years after his disappearance." And although they were found in January, they were only officially identified recently.
I haven't looked for my brother in a long time. It's just amazing. I can't come to terms with it
The publication reports that it was David who opened the door when the family received a telegram with the bad news.
David also told the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) that he and his sister Valerie Kelly were shocked to hear that their brother's remains had been found decades after his death.
DNA samples from David and Valerie Bell enabled Professor Denise Syndercombe Court of King's College London to officially confirm that the found remains belong to their brother.
What happened to the meteorologist
After leaving school, Dennis Bell served his national service in the Royal Air Force, where he qualified as a radio operator. In 1958, he joined the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey (FIDS) as a meteorologist.
On July 26, 1959, Bell, along with three other men and two dog teams, set out to ascend a glacier leading to a glacial plateau, where they planned to conduct surveying and research. The men split into pairs: Bell was accompanied by surveyor Geoff Stoks, and meteorologist Ken Gibson by geologist Colin Barton
BAS also noted that Bell and Stoks set off about 30 minutes ahead of Gibson and Barton.
When the dogs tired in the deep, soft snow, Bell tried to motivate them by running ahead to encourage them. However, according to BAS, he did this without skis. It was then that he fell into a crevasse, an accident that led to his death and years of searching for his remains.
Stoks called Bell, and he responded. He threw him a rope and told him to secure it to himself. However, Bell tied it to his waist, not his body, which caused the belt to break when he tried to pull him out. Bell fell into the crevasse again and did not respond anymore.
The weather deteriorated sharply, and, due to the risk to their own lives, colleagues could not save him. As Gibson said, only 12 hours later they reached the place of the fall and realized that he had no chance of survival.
Dennis was one of many brave FIDS staff who contributed to the establishment of Antarctic science and research in extremely harsh conditions. Although he died in 1959, his memory was preserved among colleagues and in the legacy of polar research. This discovery concludes a long-standing mystery and reminds us of the human stories woven into the history of Antarctic science
Bell's remains were transported to the Falkland Islands aboard the BAS research vessel "Sir David Attenborough", after which they were handed over to the British Antarctic Territory Coroner Malcolm Simmons. He accompanied them from Stanley in the Falklands to London.