Mummified Corpses of 1959 Climbers Found in Mexico

Post by Graveyardbride on Nov 25, 2018 17:37:12 GMT -5

Mummified Corpses of 1959 Climbers Found in Mexico

The mummified bodies of three climbers who went missing 59 years ago on Mexico’s highest volcano have been recovered by an army unit. The three corpses were found on the Pico de Orizaba volcano, the highest peak in Mexico at 18,405 feet above sea level, in the states of Veracruz and Puebla. Local media report the bodies were initially discovered in 2015, however, attempts to recover them were unsuccessful until now.

In an interview with Foro TV, Jose Luis Pablo, Commander of the Escuadron 303 unit in charge of the rescue team, said, “We are satisfied with achieving our mission.”

Poor weather conditions had made it difficult for the helicopter to recover the bodies, which were near the peak of the mountain, but a second recovery attempt on the same day was successful.

The case made international headlines on March 1, 2015, when a group of climbers came across the mummified bodies near the peak. Luis Espinosa, an 81-year-old climber, claimed the corpses belonged to three of his climbing buddies who were buried by an avalanche during an expedition in 1959. The three were the only ones reported missing in the avalanche and Espinosa said he recognized one of their shirts and a ring with initials. According to Espinosa the rescued bodies are those of Enrique Garcia Romero, Juan Espinosa Camargo, both of whom have living relatives, and Manuel Campos Reyes, who, reports suggest, has no living relatives. DNA testing will now be used to officially identify the bodies.

“We knew where the bodies were,” Espinosa said, “In 2016, I sent a specialized expedition and we checked that there were three bodies and thanks to a ring, we knew they were my three friends, because of a ring bearing the initials of Juan Espinosa Camargo. It is a relief because this feeling of not being able to save and recover them was a continuous concern for me. Today I was released from them, rest in peace.”

The three bodies are currently under the care of prosecutors who are working to officially identify them.

Source: Jon Rogers, The Sun, November 18, 2018.