Missing skier identified

The retreating glaciers in the Alps have unearthed (uniced?) a number of bodies in recent years, but one unidentified skier whose body was discovered near Zermatt in 2005 has recently been identified via social media. Henri Le Masne, born in 1919, went missing after skiing in a storm near the Matterhorn in 1954. The Aosta valley prosecutor had been unsuccessful identifying the corpse so he posted his findings on his Facebook page, and the story made it onto French radio where a niece of the deceased guessed it might be her uncle. Belongings matched and DNA confirmed Henri’s identity.

Roger Le Masne, Henri’s 94yo younger brother said in an email made available to the police: “I am the brother of Henri Le Masne … who is likely the skier who disappeared 64 years ago. He was a bachelor and quite independent. He worked in the finance ministry in Paris”.

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