Kazakhstan police identify Severtsev glacier remains as climber missing since 2007

August 20, 2026 at 10:51 AM2 min

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Kazakh police confirm that remains found on the Severtsev glacier in the Almaty region belong to a climber who disappeared in 2007. The identification follows a social media post by Almaty resident Anastasia Akhmetova, in which the climber's daughter Nellya Mikheeva recognizes her father's Soviet-era frame backpack. Belarusian tourists discover the remains on August 19 and rescuers use a Kazaviaspas helicopter to bring them off the glacier.

Key Facts

Belarusian tourists found human remains on the Severtsev glacier in Talgar district, Almaty region, at about 3,400 meters above sea level on August 19.
Nellya Mikheeva identified her father after recognizing a Soviet-era frame backpack in photographs posted by Almaty resident Anastasia Akhmetova.
Police found an identity card in the backpack carrying the name of Mikheeva's father, confirming the dead man's identity.
Rescuers airlifted the remains from the glacier using a Kazaviaspas helicopter and handed them to an investigative team from Almaty region.

Severtsev Glacier Discovery

On August 19, a group of tourists from Belarus spotted a body near the Severtsev glacier in Talgar district of Almaty region. They alerted Kazakhstan's Emergency Situations Ministry and passed coordinates and video to rescuers. The site lies at about 3,400 meters above sea level and is difficult for ground rescue crews to reach. A Kazaviaspas helicopter flew to the location and lowered the remains down for transfer to an investigative team.

Identification Through Social Media

Almaty resident Anastasia Akhmetova posted photographs of the climber's equipment on Facebook after the recovery. A friend of Nellya Mikheeva sent her the post and drew her attention to the backpack lying near the remains. Mikheeva recognized it as her father's old Soviet frame backpack, which he used on mountain trips. She said the probability that another person with the same gear went to those mountains in 2007 was very low. She contacted the emergencies ministry, which gave her the contact details of the investigator handling the case.

Police Document Confirmation

The family sent the investigator archival photographs and documents of the missing climber. The investigator called back and said an identity card in the backpack carried the name of Mikheeva's father. The identity was confirmed the same day, according to Kazinform. Mikheeva thanked the Belarusian tourists, bloggers, journalists, rescuers and police who helped bring the search to an end.