Backpackers in the King’s Canyon National Park came across a surprise discovery recently when they discovered the remains of an airman missing since World War II.
The remains, which have yet to be identified, are believed to be one of three missing soldiers whose plane went down in a blizzard back in 1942. The remains of a fourth man, Leo Mustonen, were found a few years back. The families of the missing airmen are been alerted, while steps are taken to identify exactly which of the missing men has been found. William Gamber, John Mortenson, and Ernest Munn are three still unaccounted for.
The Rangers who first arrived on the scene said that they found the body on a remote, but fairly exposed, rock outcropping. It appears that the man sat down between two boulders, and put his head to rest on one of them. His U.S. Army parachute was still on his back, and unopened. They say the light snowfall from this past year allowed the body to be discovered after all this time.
A story like this one reminds me of just how vast and remote many backcountry wilderness areas still are. These men have been missing for 65 years, and were still only found by pure chance. Perhaps we should organize a search for D.B. Cooper next.
This came via the Outside Blog.
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There have been similiar searches and discoveries here in Canada. Some areas of our North have yet to be fully mapped yet.
DSD