Mexico Mummies: Climbers Believed Missing Found Frozen In Embrace
A pair of frozen mummies was found locked in an embrace in Mexico early this week at its highest elevation. Now one man claims the mummified remains are likely the corpses from at least two of his friends, climbers that went missing after an avalanche on the Mexican mountain over 50 years ago, according to a Times India news report.
A contingency of rescuers took part in recovery efforts Thursday in central Puebla after news broke that the Mexico mummies were discovered by a random group of climbers of the Pico de Orizaba mountain. Then, a group scaling the peak found what appeared to be a head sticking out from underneath a snowdrift. However, the expedition was halted temporarily due to the treacherous terrain and over plans to build a special container to store and transport the frozen mummy remains.
Wow. I must have just missed this two weeks ago…Mummies found on Mexico’s highest peak ‘men missing for 55 years’ http://t.co/oZrM5H013e
— Christian Espinosa (@Ironracer) March 7, 2015
According to Francisco Rodriguez, a member of the recovery team, only two of a dozen mountaineers were able to reach the site in Mexico where the mummies were seen due to low visibility. However, two members of the party that reached the first body discovered a second corpse as he cleared away the snow pack.
“Their position surprised us because they are apparently in an embrace. The arm of one of them is on the body of the other.”
Officials in the town of Chalchicomula de Sesma are challenged not only with preserving the mummy remains during transport; they are tasked with making identification based on DNA that can be collected from the frozen corpses. Luckily, there may be a break in the case, thanks to a man who claims to possibly have knowledge of the mummies in Mexico.
Luis Espinoza, an accomplished climber, says he believes the remains are of his fellow climbers who were likely buried underneath snow from an avalanche that accumulated over several days of heavy precipitation. He said that on November 2, 1959, he was part of a group that split into two teams that attempted to traverse the 18,405-foot mountain.
However, at some point in the middle of the day, he and his group heard a loud noise, which indicated a sudden collapse of snow. Three of the climbers went missing on that day 55 years ago. And for the last 20 years, he has been on a mission to find his three comrades he now believe are the Mexico mummies.
The peak in Mexico where the mummies were found is a popular draw for avid climbers, some that vanished and have never been recovered. When news of the recent remains found, loved ones of missing climbers made inquiries from around the world. However, the mayor of the town says he is sure the corpses are of Mexican descent.
[Photo by TOI]
