A receding glacier on Antarctica’s King George Island has uncovered the remains of British meteorologist Dennis “Tink” Bell, who vanished on 26 July 1959 after falling into a crevasse during a research outing near Admiralty Bay. The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) said on Monday that bone fragments found in January were conclusively identified as Bell’s through DNA analysis. Scientists from the Henryk Arctowski Polish Antarctic Station discovered the fragments and more than 200 personal effects— including radio equipment, ski poles and an inscribed wristwatch—on 19 January 2025, after melting ice exposed the site. The materials were sailed to the Falkland Islands aboard the BAS research ship Sir David Attenborough, then flown to London, where King’s College London matched the DNA with samples provided by Bell’s brother and sister. Bell, then 25, was working for the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey, the forerunner of BAS, when he slipped into the crevasse while encouraging tired sled dogs. A colleague’s attempt to haul him out failed when Bell’s belt snapped, and worsening weather prevented further rescue efforts. His disappearance had remained one of BAS’s longest-standing mysteries. BAS Director Jane Francis said the discovery brings closure to the Bell family and highlights the risks early polar researchers faced, while also underlining how climate-driven glacier retreat is exposing long-hidden artefacts and remains across Antarctica.