LIMA, Peru (AP) — Police in Peru said Tuesday they have found the body of an American mountain climber who was buried by an avalanche 22 years ago while trying to climb one of the highest peaks in the Andes.
Police in the Ancash region told The Associated Press they found the body of William Stampfl on Friday near a camp 5,200 meters (17,060 feet) above sea level. Stampfl, 58, was trying to climb the 6,768-meter (22,000-foot) Mount Huascaran.
Police said Stampfl’s body and clothing were preserved by the ice and freezing temperatures. They said the body was also easy to identify because the climber had his driver’s license with him.
Hundreds of climbers visit the mountain each year with local guides, and it takes them about a week to reach the top. Stampfl was with friends Matthew Richardson and Steve Erskine when they attempted the climb in 2002. Erskine’s body was found shortly after the avalanche, but Richardson’s remains are still missing.
Stampfl’s body was taken down the mountain by guides and police officers last weekend and taken to a morgue in the city of Huaraz.
