The remains of the British researcher who entered Kreva on Antarctic glacier 66 years ago were recovered, the British Antarctic (BAS) reported.
Then the 25 -year -old Dennis Bell disappeared into the ice in 1959. On July 26, climbing the Ecology Glacier on the Island of King George, one of the southern Shetland islands north of the Antarctic Peninsula. He survived the initial fall – estimated to be 100 feet, but the attempt could not be made to save him and he was not visible again.
January The Polish base King George Island team found its remains and hundreds of personal belongings between the rocks revealed when the glacier retreated, Bas said.
The Polish team conducted a comprehensive archaeological survey in five February, restoring bone fragments and human artefacts-to the clock with an engraved inscription, buffet, radio equipment and ski poles.
DNA examples were coordinated with living siblings David Bell and Valerie Kelly, who were surprised by the discovery.
“When my sister Valerie was informed that our brother Dennis was found after 66 years, we were shocked and surprised,” David Bell said BAS. He expressed his family gratitude to the British and Polish team for “bringing him home”, saying that the discovered helped them to “reconcile with the tragic loss of our wonderful brother.”
Known nickname “Tink”, Bell has joined the Falkland Islands Addiction (FIDS) – BAS predecessor – as a meteorologist in 1958, seeking more adventure after a career with the Royal Air Force.
The photo, published by British Antarctic Dennis Bell (right) Christmas holidays with colleagues from Admiralty Bay Station, in 1958. – British Antarctic Investigation/PA/Alamy/Sipa
“This discovery evokes a decades-long mystery and reminds us of human stories embedded in the history of Antarctic science,” said Dame Jane Francis, Director of BAS, who added that it was a ‘angry and deep moment’.
Bell was deployed in a small British base where only half a dozen men George’s Island Admiral Bay, where nine months a year.
An uninivorous photo of the material published by the British Antarctic Admiral Bay base on the island of King George in 1951, where Dennis Bell worked. – British Antarctic Investigation/PA/Alamy/Sipa
1959 July 26th. Bell and the other three men went to the dog’s sleigh to climb the glacier at the top of the island to survey and geological work, while Bell and surveyor Jeff Stokes left about 30 minutes to the next group.
The snow was deep and the dogs began to show signs of fatigue, so Bell went forward to encourage them, but he did not carry his skis. Suddenly he disappeared into the ice.
Stoks called the ice hole and “greatly relieve” to hear Bell’s answer, according to Antony Nelson, former Bas Vivian Fuchs, in the book Ice and Men.
Then the Stakes lowered the rope nearly 100 feet into the hole, told Bell to tie it to it and attached to the dog’s sleigh, improperly trying to lift it, recalled Fuch.
“Bell was tied by a rope through the belt, not around his body, perhaps because of the angle he was lying in the Crevasis. When he reached his upper body, stuck to his lips, the belt stopped, and down,” Fuchs said.
Bell never responded to his friend’s calls after that.
Stox left the markers on the site and began to enter the glacier to find another team of men. After 12 hours, during the deterioration of the weather, they eventually returned to the place and found that it could not be saved in any way.
An unused photo of the material published by British Antarctic survey, survey of the area at the front of the ecology glacier, where Dennis Bell’s remains were found in loose rocks. – Henryk Arctowski Polish Antarctic Station/PA/Alamy/Sipa
“Dennis was one of the many brave FIDS staff who contributed to early Antarctic science and exploration under extremely harsh conditions,” said BAS Director Francis.
“Despite being lost in 1959, his memory survived the legacy of colleagues and polar studies.”
After the Polish team recovered, its remains were taken to the Falkland Islands on the BAS research ship Sir David Attenborough, where they were given to the coronary British Antarctic and transported to London.
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