Latest news with #BritishAntarcticMonumentTrust
Indian Express
12-08-2025
- Science
- Indian Express
Went missing 66 years ago, British researcher's remains found in Antarctica as glacier melts
The remains of Dennis 'Tink' Bell, a British meteorologist who died in a tragic accident in Antarctica in 1959, have been discovered in a melting glacier on King George Island, more than six decades after his disappearance. Bell, who was working for the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey — now the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) — fell into a crevasse on the Ecology Glacier in July 1959, just weeks after his 25th birthday, according to the British Antarctic Survey. Despite desperate rescue attempts by his colleague Jeff Stokes, Bell was lost, and harsh weather prevented further recovery efforts. In January this year, a Polish research team from the Henryk Arctowski Antarctic Station found human remains along with more than 200 personal items, including ski poles, a Swedish Mora knife, a wristwatch, a radio, a torch, and an ebonite pipe stem. DNA testing at King's College London confirmed the remains belonged to Bell, the British Antarctic Survey added. The British Antarctic Survey quoted Bell's brother David, speaking from Australia. He said, 'When my sister Valerie and I were notified that our brother Dennis had been found after 66 years we were shocked and amazed.' David added, 'The British Antarctic Survey and British Antarctic Monument Trust have been a tremendous support and together with the sensitivity of the Polish team in bringing him home have helped us come to terms with the tragic loss of our brilliant brother.' Born in Harrow, north-west London, Bell had worked as a radio operator in the Royal Air Force (RAF) before joining the Antarctic survey in 1958. Known for his humour, resourcefulness, and love for husky dogs, he was responsible for meteorological observations, cooking duties, and mapping largely unexplored areas of King George Island. Director of the British Antarctic Survey Professor Dame Jane Francis called the confirmation of Bell's identity 'a poignant and profound moment', adding, 'Dennis was one of the many brave Fids personnel who contributed to the early science and exploration of Antarctica under extraordinarily harsh conditions.' Bell's remains were transported to the Falkland Islands before being flown to London by the RAF. His family is now planning how to commemorate his life and service.
UPI
12-08-2025
- Science
- UPI
British researcher's remains found in melting Anatarctic glacier
The remains of British researcher Dennis "Tink" Bell were found in a melting Antarctic glacier, like the one seen here. File Photo by NASA/UPI Aug. 12 (UPI) -- A British researcher's remains were discovered in a melting Antarctic glacier after he died from a fall while on a research mission 66 years ago. Dennis "Tink" Bell fell into a crevasse while working for Falkland Islands Dependencies in 1959, the predecessor of the British Antarctic Survey, which reported the discovery on Monday. More than 200 personal items were found, including radio equipment, a flashlight, ski poles, an inscribed Erguel wristwatch, a Swedish Mora knife, ski poles and an ebonite pipe stem. The remains were carried to the Falkland Islands on the BAS Royal Research ship before being transported to London for DNA testing. The DNA samples matched with his siblings' samples, David Bell and Valerie Kelly. "When my sister Valerie and I were notified that our brother Dennis had been found after 66 years we were shocked and amazed," said Bell's brother. "The British Antarctic Survey and British Antarctic Monument Trust have been a tremendous support and together with the sensitivity of the Polish team in bringing him home have helped us come to terms with the tragic loss of our brilliant brother." Bell was working alongside four men and two dog sledges, a surveyor Jeff Stokes, meteorologists Ken Gibson and geologist Colin Barton. Stokes and Bell believed a crevassed area was in the clear. But as the team and its dogs were struggling to make it through the snow. Bell went ahead of the group as an act of encouragement but he suddenly disappeared leaving a gaping hole down 100ft in the crevasse bridge. Stokes called repeatedly out to Bell, lowering a rope almost a hundred feet. He told Bell to tie himself on, Stokes and the dogs began to pull him up but Bell had tied the rope through his belt instead of around his body due to the angle he was laying at in the crevasse. When he reached the top his body jammed against the lip, his belt broke, and he fell down again. Stokes and Bell were initially ahead of Gibson and Barton. So, Stokes went down the glacier to meet with the two. They attempted to return to the crevasse but the weather had taken a turn for the worse. "It was probably 12 hours before we found the site. There was no way he could have survived," said GIbson. The remains had been discovered on the Ecology Glacier on Jan. 19, 2025 by personnel from the Henryk Arctowski Polish Antarctic Station on King George Island. "The discovery of Dennis Bell brings sharply into focus the cost of scientific endeavour in Antarctica in the years before improved transportation and communication. Many of those lost were never found which makes this discovery more remarkable," the chair of the British Antarctic Monument Trust, Rod Rhys Jones, said.
South Wales Guardian
12-08-2025
- Science
- South Wales Guardian
Remains of British researcher who died in Antarctica found 66 years later
Dennis 'Tink' Bell, 25, died after falling down a crevasse on a glacier at Admiralty Bay on King George Island on July 26 1959. A team from the Henryk Arctowski Polish Antarctic Station found his remains among rocks exposed by a receding glacier on January 19 this year, the BAS said on Monday. Bone fragments were carried to the Falkland Islands on the BAS Royal Research Ship Sir David Attenborough and handed to the coroner for British Antarctic Territory Malcolm Simmons, who brought them back to London from Stanley. DNA testing carried out at King's College London finally matched the remains with samples from Mr Bell's brother David and his sister Valerie Kelly. 'When my sister Valerie and I were notified that our brother Dennis had been found after 66 years we were shocked and amazed,' David Bell, now living in Australia, said. 'The British Antarctic Survey and British Antarctic Monument Trust have been a tremendous support and, together with the sensitivity of the Polish team in bringing him home, have helped us come to terms with the tragic loss of our brilliant brother.' Bell trained as a radio operator in the Royal Air Force before joining the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey (Fids) as a meteorologist in 1958. He was stationed for a two-year assignment at Admiralty Bay, a small UK base with half a dozen men, on King George Island – one of the South Shetland Islands which lie in the Southern Ocean about 124 miles off the northern coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. On July 26 1959, Mr Bell and three of his colleagues – meteorologist Ken Gibson, surveyor Jeff Stokes, and geologist Colin Barton – left base with two dog sledges to climb the glacier and carry out survey and geological work. But on the way up, the soft snow made the journey difficult, and the dogs began to show signs of tiredness. 'To encourage them Bell went ahead… tragically without his skis,' the BAS said. 'Suddenly he disappeared leaving a gaping hole in the crevasse bridge through which he had fallen.' According to accounts in the British Antarctic Survey records, Mr Stokes made a first attempt at lifting Mr Bell out of the hole using a rope. But Mr Bell had tied the rope around his belt, which broke as he reached the lip of the crevasse. After this second fall, Mr Bell no longer responded to calls from Mr Stokes. 'That's a story I shall never get over,' Mr Bell's brother David told the BBC. Mr Stokes later met with Gibson and Barton coming down the glacier, and the three men made another attempt at finding Mr Bell. But weather conditions rapidly deteriorated, and they were not able to reach the crevasse in time, according to the BAS records. 'It was probably 12 hours before we found the site and there was no way he could have survived,' Ken Gibson said. 'The confirmation of the remains found on Ecology Glacier as those of Dennis 'Tink' Bell is both a poignant and profound moment for all of us at British Antarctic Survey,' Professor Dame Jane Francis, Director of BAS, said. 'Dennis was one of the many brave Fids personnel who contributed to the early science and exploration of Antarctica under extraordinarily harsh conditions. 'Even though he was lost in 1959, his memory lived on among colleagues and in the legacy of polar research. 'This discovery brings closure to a decades-long mystery and reminds us of the human stories embedded in the history of Antarctic science.' David Bell added: 'Dennis was the oldest of three siblings and was my hero as he seemed to be able to turn his hand to anything, servicing petrol engines, photography including processing his own films.' The Polish expedition which recovered Mr Bell's remains also found over 200 personal items, including the remains of radio equipment, a flashlight, ski poles, an inscribed Erguel wristwatch, a Swedish Mora knife, ski poles, and an ebonite pipe stem.
The Irish Sun
11-08-2025
- Science
- The Irish Sun
Frozen remains of Brit adventurer, 25, lost in Antarctic are finally found after he vanished nearly 60 years ago
'He's come home now,' Dennis' 86-year-old brother said HERO FINALLY HOME Frozen remains of Brit adventurer, 25, lost in Antarctic are finally found after he vanished nearly 60 years ago THE remains of a Brit researcher who died in Antarctica have been discovered nearly six decades after a tragic accident. Dennis 'Tink' Bell, at the time 25, fell into a crevasse during an Antarctic mission - leaving his devastated family unable to repatriate his body. 6 Dennis Bell, known as 'Tink', lost his life on July 26, 1959 while working for what would later become the British Antarctic Survey Credit: British Antarctic Monument Trust 6 Dennis (left) died on an expedition while he was with pal Jeff Stokes (right) - Jeff died five weeks before the news came out that Dennis' remains were found Credit: British Antarctic Monument Trust 6 Handout photo from the British Antarctic Survey shows the 1959 Admiralty Bay Base on King George Island - where Dennis worked Credit: PA Dennis's body was never recovered until January 29 - when a team of Polish researchers from the Henryk Arctowski Polish Antarctic Station stumbled upon bones later confirmed to be his. His brother, David Bell, told the BBC: "I had long given up on finding my brother. It is just remarkable, astonishing. I can't get over it." Born in 1934, Dennis worked with the RAF and trained as a meteorologist before joining the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey - later renamed the British Antarctic Survey. In 1958, he began a two-year posting at the UK base in Admiralty Bay, Antarctica. His main role was to send up weather balloons and radio the data back to the UK every three hours - work that meant firing up a generator in brutal sub-zero conditions. The base sat on King George Island - around 75 miles off the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. Archivist Ieuan Hopkins from the British Antarctic Survey unearthed detailed reports describing work on the "ridiculously isolated" island. One report described Dennis as "cheerful and industrious, with a mischievous sense of humour and fondness for practical jokes". He was said to have loved the husky dogs that pulled sledges around the island and was known as the hut's best cook - often managing the food store through the long winter when no supplies could get in. The fatal accident happened just weeks after his 25th birthday, while Dennis was surveying King George Island to help map the terrain. Lost 300-Year-Old Pirate Ship With £101M Treasure Discovered Off Madagascar On July 26 1959 - deep in the Antarctic winter - Dennis and his colleague and pal Jeff Stokes had climbed and surveyed a glacier. Dennis was encouraging the weary dogs but wasn't wearing his skis when he suddenly vanished into a crevasse, according to British Antarctic Survey accounts. Jeff shouted down to him and Dennis was able to call back, grabbing hold of a rope lowered in a rescue attempt. The dogs pulled at the rope, hauling Dennis - who had attached it to his belt - up towards the edge of the hole. 6 Handout photo issued by British Antarctic Survey shows Dennis Bell (left) with his colleagues and the dogs that helped them work in Antarctica in 1959 Credit: PA 6 Dennis Bell (left) had a 'mischievous sense of humour', as seen by the picture in which he is re-enacting an advert on the snow Credit: British Antarctic Monument Trust But tragically, the belt broke and Dennis fell back into the crevasse. When Jeff called out again, Dennis didn't reply. David Bell recalled how, in July 1959, a telegram boy knocked on the door of the Bells' family home in Harrow, London to deliver the devastating news of Dennis' death. He said two men from Dennis's base later visited the family and brought a sheepskin as a gesture of sympathy. "But there was no conclusion. There was no service; there was no anything. Just Dennis gone," David says. David described feeling overwhelmed by the news and expressed his gratitude to the Polish researchers who found his remains. "I'm just sad my parents never got to see this day," he said. David, who lives in Australia, plans to visit England with his sister Valerie so they can lay their beloved brother to rest. "It's wonderful; I'm going to meet my brother. You might say we shouldn't be thrilled, but we are," David said. "He's been found - he's come home now." Professor Dame Jane Francis, Director of the British Antarctic Survey, paid tribute to Dennis: "Dennis was one of the many brave personnel who contributed to the early science and exploration of Antarctica under extraordinarily harsh conditions. "Even though he was lost in 1959, his memory lived on among colleagues and in the legacy of polar research." Since 1944, 29 people have died working in the British Antarctic Territory on scientific missions, according to the British Antarctic Monument Trust. Among them were Alan Sharman and Russell Thompson, who also died in 1959.
Scottish Sun
11-08-2025
- Science
- Scottish Sun
Frozen remains of Brit adventurer, 25, lost in Antarctic are finally found after he vanished nearly 60 years ago
'He's come home now,' Dennis' 86-year-old brother said HERO FINALLY HOME Frozen remains of Brit adventurer, 25, lost in Antarctic are finally found after he vanished nearly 60 years ago Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE remains of a Brit researcher who died in Antarctica have been discovered nearly six decades after a tragic accident. Dennis 'Tink' Bell, at the time 25, fell into a crevasse during an Antarctic mission - leaving his devastated family unable to repatriate his body. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 Dennis Bell, known as 'Tink', lost his life on July 26, 1959 while working for what would later become the British Antarctic Survey Credit: British Antarctic Monument Trust 6 Dennis Bell (left) died on an expedition while he was with his pal Jeff Stokes (right) - Jeff died five weeks before hearing that Dennis' remains were found Credit: British Antarctic Monument Trust 6 Handout photo issued by British Antarctic Survey shows in 1959 the Admiralty Bay Base on King George Island, where Dennis worked Credit: PA Dennis's body was never recovered until January 29 - when a team of Polish researchers from the Henryk Arctowski Polish Antarctic Station stumbled upon bones later confirmed to be his. His brother, David Bell, told the BBC: "I had long given up on finding my brother. It is just remarkable, astonishing. I can't get over it." Born in 1934, Dennis worked with the RAF and trained as a meteorologist before joining the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey - later renamed the British Antarctic Survey. In 1958, he began a two-year posting at the UK base in Admiralty Bay, Antarctica. His main role was to send up weather balloons and radio the data back to the UK every three hours - work that meant firing up a generator in brutal sub-zero conditions. The base sat on King George Island - around 75 miles off the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. Archivist Ieuan Hopkins from the British Antarctic Survey unearthed detailed reports describing work on the "ridiculously isolated" island. One report described Dennis as "cheerful and industrious, with a mischievous sense of humour and fondness for practical jokes". He was said to have loved the husky dogs that pulled sledges around the island and was known as the hut's best cook - often managing the food store through the long winter when no supplies could get in. The fatal accident happened just weeks after his 25th birthday, while Dennis was surveying King George Island to help map the terrain. Lost 300-Year-Old Pirate Ship With £101M Treasure Discovered Off Madagascar On July 26 1959 - deep in the Antarctic winter - Dennis and his colleague and pal Jeff Stokes had climbed and surveyed a glacier. Dennis was encouraging the weary dogs but wasn't wearing his skis when he suddenly vanished into a crevasse, according to British Antarctic Survey accounts. Jeff shouted down to him and Dennis was able to call back, grabbing hold of a rope lowered in a rescue attempt. The dogs pulled at the rope, hauling Dennis - who had attached it to his belt - up towards the edge of the hole. 6 Handout photo issued by British Antarctic Survey shows Dennis Bell (left) with his colleagues and the dogs that helped them work in Antarctica in 1959 Credit: PA 6 Dennis Bell (left) had a 'mischievous sense of humour', as seen by the picture in which he is re-enacting an advert on the snow Credit: British Antarctic Monument Trust But tragically, the belt broke and Dennis fell back into the crevasse. When Jeff called out again, Dennis didn't reply. David Bell recalled how, in July 1959, a telegram boy knocked on the door of the Bells' family home in Harrow, London to deliver the devastating news of Dennis' death. He said two men from Dennis's base later visited the family and brought a sheepskin as a gesture of sympathy. "But there was no conclusion. There was no service; there was no anything. Just Dennis gone," David says. David described feeling overwhelmed by the news and expressed his gratitude to the Polish researchers who found his remains. "I'm just sad my parents never got to see this day," he said. David, who lives in Australia, plans to visit England with his sister Valerie so they can lay their beloved brother to rest. "It's wonderful; I'm going to meet my brother. You might say we shouldn't be thrilled, but we are," David said. "He's been found - he's come home now." Professor Dame Jane Francis, Director of the British Antarctic Survey, paid tribute to Dennis: "Dennis was one of the many brave personnel who contributed to the early science and exploration of Antarctica under extraordinarily harsh conditions. "Even though he was lost in 1959, his memory lived on among colleagues and in the legacy of polar research." Since 1944, 29 people have died working in the British Antarctic Territory on scientific missions, according to the British Antarctic Monument Trust. Among them were Alan Sharman and Russell Thompson, who also died in 1959.
