Bell fell into a crevasse and died, but his remains were not discovered until January 2025
The remains of a 25-year-old researcher who died on a glacier near the Antarctic Peninsula in July 1959 have been located and identified more than six decades later.
Experts say the bones belonged to Dennis 'Tink' Bell, a meteorologist who had been working for a predecessor of the British Antarctic Survey when he fell into a crevasse on a King George Island glacier and died. His remains, exposed as the glacier receded, were not recovered until this year.
The discovery on the Ecology Glacier was made by workers from the Henryk Arctowski Polish Antarctic Station on King George Island on Sunday, January 19, the British Antarctic Survey announced in a statement this week.
DNA testing confirmed his identity using samples from his surviving siblings, David Bell and Valerie Kelly.
"I had long given up on finding my brother. It is just remarkable, astonishing. I can't get over it," David Bell, 86, told BBC News. He now lives in Australia.
In addition to the remains, the British Antarctic Survey says more than 200 other items have been located, including bits of radio equipment, a flashlight, ski poles, a wristwatch, a knife and a pipe.
"When my sister Valerie and I were notified that our brother Dennis had been found after 66 years, we were shocked and amazed," said David Bell in the BAS statement. "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."
Dennis, who grew up in London, was stationed at Admiralty Bay for a two-year assignment when the fatal incident occurred, BAS 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. Dennis was one of the many brave FIDS personnel who contributed to the early science and exploration of Antarctica under extraordinarily harsh conditions," said Professor Dame Jane Francis, BAS Director.
"Even though he was lost in 1959, his memory lived on among colleagues and in the legacy of polar research," Francis continued. "This discovery brings closure to a decades-long mystery and reminds us of the human stories embedded in the history of Antarctic science."
Dennis had set out to conduct a survey and geological work alongside surveyor Jeff Stokes on the day he died, according to BAS. As the men ascended the glacier and their dogs tired, Dennis pressed on without his skis when he fell into the crevasse. Stokes called to him and Dennis was initially able to answer.
Stokes dropped a rope down and attached it to the team of dogs while Dennis tied it to his belt. As the dogs pulled and Dennis neared the top, his belt broke and he plummeted again. After the second fall, there was only silence when Stokes called out for him.
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Russel Thomson, who worked on the base with Dennis, remembered his friend's jokes and "tremendous, tremendous character."
David told the BBC he and his sister have plans to lay their sibling to rest in the wake of the discovery.
"It's wonderful, I'm going to meet my brother," he said to the outlet. "You might say we shouldn't be thrilled, but we are. He's been found - he's come home now."