A Man Was Perfectly Frozen in Ice for 28 Years. The Glacier Just Spit Him Back Out.
In July 2025, a shepherd in Pakistan's remote Kohistan region stumbled upon a startling discovery: the perfectly preserved body of Naseeruddin, a man who had vanished into a glacier crevice nearly 28 years earlier during a 1997 snowstorm.
The Disappearance
Naseeruddin, then 31 or 33 years old from the Salehel tribe, fell into an ice cave in Lady Valley (also called Lady Meadows) amid harsh weather in Palas, Kohistan. Extensive searches by family and locals, including uncles and cousins who revisited the site multiple times, yielded nothing as the glacier entombed him deeply.
Miraculous Preservation
The body's intact state—clothing untorn, facial features recognizable, and ID card still legible—resulted from rapid freezing in low-oxygen, low-humidity glacial conditions that mummified it naturally. Experts note glaciers halt decomposition like cryogenic preservation, though not perfectly, as seen in cases like Ötzi the Iceman.
Glacier's Revelation
Climate change accelerated the melt: reduced snowfall exposed the glacier to sunlight, "spitting out" the remains on July 31, 2025. Pakistan hosts over 7,000 glaciers outside polar regions, and such retreats are unveiling more hidden relics worldwide.
Family Closure
Nephew Malik Ubaid expressed relief after decades of fruitless efforts, saying the family "left no stone unturned." DNA confirmed identity, though features were so pristine that relatives recognized him instantly, ending a painful mystery.
Global Parallels
This echoes climber William Stampfl's mummified body found after 22 years in Peru's Huascaran, and WWI soldiers in Alps ice. As glaciers shrink, experts predict rising discoveries of lost hikers, artifacts, and even ancient meals preserved in ice.
Scientific Insights
Glacial mummification occurs when sub-zero temperatures and ice pressure desiccate tissues, preventing bacterial decay much like freeze-drying. Naseeruddin's case mirrors Ötzi, frozen 5,300 years ago, whose tattoos and last meal were preserved; modern forensics could reveal his final hours via stomach contents or isotopes tracing diet.
Environmental Warnings
Pakistan's 7,253 glaciers, holding 13% of Earth's ice outside poles, lose mass at 0.3-0.7 meters yearly due to warming. This "spitting out" exposes not just bodies but pathogens like ancient viruses, prompting calls for biohazard protocols in melt zones.
Cultural Reverberations
In Kohistan's conservative Pashtunwali society, Naseeruddin's recovery brought communal mourning—prayers, feasts—and closure for seven children left fatherless. Elders view it as divine timing, blending Islamic fatalism with glacier folklore of "sleeping giants" awakening.
Forensic Aftermath
Autopsies confirmed death by traumatic fall, not hypothermia alone; his wool shawl and plastic shoes remained intact. Authorities airlifted the body via helicopter, burying it per Muslim rites amid media frenzy that boosted local tourism warnings.
