Father Who Disappeared 22 Years Ago While Climbing The Andes Mountains Is Found Frozen To Death

Posted • July 13, 2024: The daughter of the American man who was found frozen in Peru after 22 years says she finally has closure after hoping for years he was still alive. Bill Stampfl was found frozen on a 22,000-foot mountain in the Andes range. He was discovered by an American who tracked down the family of Stampfl. Ryan Cooper of Las Vegas says he found Stampfl's body on top of the ice after turning around on Huascarán when he determined it was too dangerous to reach the top.

"He still had his wedding ring on his finger. So I knew he was married, and I knew he probably had a family and somebody was expecting him home at some point. And he didn’t come home," Cooper said. "I wasn’t meant to summit [that day]. I was meant to find Bill." Jennifer Stampfl of Paloma, CA, spoke to the NYT about her father and finding out that he was found. "It almost was kind of surreal [when he went missing]. One day he’s here and one day he’s not." - "I don’t want him on the mountain; I want him back with me. He belongs with me," she said, adding that she is relieved that she finally has closure.