American mountaineer's body discovered in incredible condition after going missing 22 years following avalanche

The body of a man who went missing some 22 years ago while hiking has been discovered in remarkable condition.

Bill Stampfl, 58, and two friends died in an avalanche while out hiking in Peru in 2002.

Sadly when people are killed in avalanches there is generally very little chance of their loved ones being able to recover their body.

Bill's family had held out little hope of ever finding his body from under the masses of ice and stone on the 22,000-foot tall Huascaran peak.

But in an extraordinary development, Bill's son Joseph Stampfl received a phone call years after his father's disappearance.

Joseph was told that by an extraordinary chance another climber had happened upon his father's body while attempting his own ascent of the peak.

He had also found Bill's body in a remarkably well-preserved state.

Bill Stampfl died in an avalanche 2002. (KTLA 5)

Speaking about the discovery, Joseph told CBS: "It was so out of left field. We talk about my dad, we think about him all the time.

"You just never think you are going to get that call."

Joseph went on to tell his family about the discovery, including his sister Jennifer who described how she felt about her father's body being found.

She said: "It's been a shock. When you get that phone call that he's been found your heart just sinks.

"You don't know how exactly to feel at first."

She added: "For 22 years, we just kind of put in our mind: 'This is the way it is. Dad's part of the mountain, and he's never coming home.'"

Bill was discovered by another climber about 4,000ft below where he and his two friends had been killed.

The climber found Bill's frozen remains, still wearing his boots 22 years later.

Mountain rescue recovered Bill's body from the mountainside. (KTLA 5)

On the body the climber found a pouch which contained Bill's driving licence, which enabled the climber to trace Bill''s family and confirm his identity to the local authorities.

The pouch also contained a camera, a pair of sunglasses, a voice recorder, and two $20 bills, which were decomposing.

Bill was also still wearing his gold wedding ring on his left hand.

Joseph said: "He was no longer encased in ice. He still has got his boots on."

A team made up of 13 mountain guides then worked to safely recover Bill's body from the mountainside.

Bill's wife Janet Stampfl-Raymer paid tribute to her late husband, saying: "He was a kind man. He was humble. He loved God, and he loved the mountains.

"We all just dearly loved my husband. He was one of a kind. We're very grateful we can bring his body home to rest."

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