Couple Discovers a Mysterious, 5,300-Year-Old Iceman While Hiking in the Alps

German hikers Helmut and Erika Simon made one of the biggest science discoveries of all time. And they did it totally by accident. So here’s how an average vacation changed when the couple discovered an ancient iceman in the Alps.

But it all led to more questions than answers…

An Incredible Vacation

Back in the fall of 1991, German couple Helmut and Erika Simon had planned the vacation of a lifetime through the Otzal Alps. The area was known for its stunning landscape and snow-capped mountain pass.

Discovery in the Snow

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On Sept. 19, as the pair were on a hike, they went off the trail into an area with icy patches of ground. There, buried halfway in the ice, was the corpse of what the couple at first believed to be another hiker.

The Body

The dead “hiker” was buried up to his chest. He was lying face-down, and his left arm was crossed under his body over to his right side. The discovery left the Simons shocked and confused.

Police Get Involved

The Simons rushed back to call the police and report the body. When authorities returned to the area where he had been found, they, too, assumed he had just been the victim of an unfortunate hiking accident.