Examination of Frozen Human Remains Starts

Remains suspected to be those of a World War II airman were given an initial examination by Fresno County coroners Thursday after they arrived by helicopter from Kings Canyon National Park still encased in a 400-pound chunk of ice.

Park rangers extracted the remains from a glacier about 6 p.m. Wednesday. Climbers on remote Mt. Mendel had discovered the body Sunday in the vicinity of a military training plane that had crashed in 1942.

To avoid disturbing the body, coroners allowed the ice around the remains to melt, aiding the process with cold water, said Fresno County Coroner Lori Cervantes. She said the thawing had not gone far enough to determine whether the person wore dog tags or had any other identifying material.