The perfectly-preserved bodies of a couple who disappeared 75 years ago were spat out by a retreating glacier in Switzerland, police announced on Tuesday.

Marcelin and Francine Dumoulin, a 40-year-old shoemaker and his 37-year-old schoolteacher wife Francine, had left for an overnight hike to feed their cattle in a meadow above Chandolin in the Valais canton on August 15, 1942, but never returned.

Cantonal police said two bodies bearing their identity papers were discovered last week by a worker on Tsanfleuron glacier near a ski lift above Les Diablerets resort at an altitude of 2,615 meters (8,600 feet). The remains were partly submerged in a hole in the ice.

"The bodies were lying near each other. It was a man and a woman wearing clothing dating from the period of World War II," Bernhard Tschannen, director of Glacier 3000, told Lausanne daily Le Matin.

"They were perfectly preserved in the glacier and their belongings were intact."

The bodies were reportedly found along with backpacks, a bottle, a book and a watch.

"We think they may have fallen into a crevasse where they stayed for decades. As the glacier receded, it gave up their bodies," he told the daily Tribune de Geneve.

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Search called off after weeks

25 years of Ötzi discovery - the Iceman's secrets Border fight Today, Ötzi's final place of rest is the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology. But for a while it wasn't clear which country the mummy would go to. After it was discovered on September 19, 1991, both Austria and Italy laid claim to Ötzi. Official measurements finally revealed that he was found 92.56 meters (303.67 feet) behind the border - on Italy's side.

25 years of Ötzi discovery - the Iceman's secrets Unknown identity At first, however, no one realized what a sensational discovery a couple from Bavaria had made on their hike. It was assumed the body belonged to a tourist who had recently frozen to death. One man claimed the dead John Doe was his uncle, others thought he was a victim of the biblical Deluge. When researchers discovered the truth, the archaeology world was beyond excited.

25 years of Ötzi discovery - the Iceman's secrets Tattooed murder victim Ötzi had 61 tattoos - no mermaids or kids' names, but lines and crosses. The Stone Age tattoo artist cut Ötzi's skin and filled the wounds with coal. Sounds painful? Not as bad as this: Ötzi was killed by an arrow shot through his shoulder from behind, as researchers at the archaeology museum in Bozen discovered.

25 years of Ötzi discovery - the Iceman's secrets Generous last supper Researchers could also find out what Ötzi ate shortly before his death by analyzing the contents of his stomach. His last meal was rich and fatty. It consisted, among other foods, of a Stone Age grain and goat meat.

25 years of Ötzi discovery - the Iceman's secrets Modern ailments Ötzi had many health issues that today's patients are still familiar with. He had cavities, Lyme disease, fleas and a smokers' lung from inhaling camp fire smoke. On top of that, Ötzi was lactose-intolerant and suffered from a helicobacter stomach infection as well as circulation problems. If the arrow hadn't killed him, he would have dropped dead sooner rather than later.

25 years of Ötzi discovery - the Iceman's secrets Material mix In 2015, the "Ötzi Walkers" hiked through western Germany promoting a Stone Age exhibition. For their clothes, they tried to stay as true as possible to Ötzi's outfits. He wore a brown bear fur hat, goat leather pants and a coat made of a goat-sheep skin mix.

25 years of Ötzi discovery - the Iceman's secrets Ötzi times two The glacier mummy was a unique discovery. To give more people access to Ötzi, however, his body was copied in April 2016. Using a 3d-printer, researchers in Bozen created a second Ötzi made of resin, which was then painted with all the details of the original by US paleo-artist Gary Staab. The copy went to the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory's DNA Learning Center in New York state. Author: Carla Bleiker



Daughter, Monique Dumoulin, told the news agency AFP it was the first time her mother had joined her father for that type of excursion. She had previously always stayed home, either because she was pregnant, or to look after her young children.

Monique Dumoulin said that the sky had been clear when her parents set out, but that clouds later darkened the area, likely making it difficult to ensure solid footing on the glacier's surface.

"My uncle had time to see my parents one last time with his binoculars", she said in a phone interview.

Marceline Udry-Dumoulin, who was four when her parents went missing, told Le Matin that she climbed the glacier three times after their disappearance, "constantly wondering what had happened to them."

The search was called off after several weeks and the Dumoulin children were sent to live with relatives and in foster homes.

"We spent our whole lives looking for them, without stopping. We thought that we could give them the funeral they deserved one day," Marceline Udry-Dumoulin told Le Matin.

"I can say that after 75 years of waiting this news gives me a deep sense of calm," added the 79-year-old.

The pair were among 280 people listed as missing in the Alps or rivers of the Valais since 1925, officials said.

Bettina Schrag, cantonal head of forensic medicine, told Swiss public radio RTS: "Given the current shrinking of glaciers, we have to expect more and more such findings."

aw/rt (Reuters, AP, AFP)