Skier is found in the Rockies after 38 years

US authorities have announced that the human remains of a German tourist who disappeared 38 years ago while on a skiing tour are believed to have been found in the Rocky Mountains.

Rudi Moder, a 27-year-old West German who was described at the time as an experienced mountaineer, began on February 13, 1983 a trek that was supposed to last two or three nights through the snow-capped mountains of Colorado, in the western United States, the park said. Rocky Mountain National Park in a statement Thursday.

He was alerted a week later by his roommate, worried about his absence, but searches in poor weather found only items belonging to the traveler.

The park said rescue operations ceased after four days, but sporadic searches continued for decades.

In mid-August 2020, a park discovered human remains near the debris carried by an avalanche about 15 kilometers south of the young German’s starting point, an area that had already been excavated at the time.

Rangers’ research aimed to confirm the identity of the remains afterwards due to forest fires in the area, and then due to the snow that fell during the winter in this massif at an altitude of more than 3,350 meters.

This summer, they finally found sleds, poles, boots and personal belongings belonging to the lost park, according to emergency services.

An autopsy could not confirm with certainty that the remains were that of Rudy Moder, but US authorities announced that they had worked with the German government to organize their repatriation.