The Ice Man (Otzi's Curse)

The body of the ice man or "Otzi" as he has been nicknamed by Scientist was found in the Alps between Australia and Italy in 1991. After working on Otzi's remains Scientist have believe he lived (and died) in the copper age, a period when the weapon of choice would have been made of rocks vs. medals. Based on the tools found near his body, It has also been said Otzi more than likely held a high title such as Tribal Cheif or was the "lead hunter" of the group. Cause of death was trauma to the head, initially it was thought it was caused by a fall. After further inspection they also found an arrow head in his right shoulder, it has been speculated he was murdered... likely by a member of his own group as all evidence points to the fact he could NOT have traveled alone.

Since his body was found and recovered from place of death, 7 people directly involved with his discovery died over the course of the next 13 years. This would not be unusual had the manner of their deaths not been so gruesome.

1. In 1992 Rainer Henn, the forensic pathologist who put Oetzi in a body bag with his bare hands, was killed in a car crash on his way to a world conference to discuss the Iceman.

2. Kurt Fritz, the mountain guide who lead Henn to Oetzi, and subsequently uncovered Oetzi's face, died in an avalanche.

3. the man who filmed the recovery of Oetzi, died of a brain tumor.

4. Helmut Simon, who with his wife was the person who actually found the Iceman in the first place, went missing for 8 days in 2004. When his body was found he was laying face down in a stream, where he had landed after falling off a 300 foot cliff.

5. Dieter Warnecke, the head of the rescue team that found Helmut, dropped dead of a heart attack an hour after Helmut's funeral.

6. Konrad Spindler, died complications arising from having Multiple Sclerosis six months after he was quoted as saying "I think (the curse) is a load of rubbish. It's all media hype. The next thing you will be saying is I will be next." (which of course, he was)

7. The seventh and final death (so far) was in 2005: Tom Loy, a scientist who discovered human blood on Otzi's clothes and weapons, died of a hereditary blood disease. This would normally be considered nothing more than a natural death if it weren't for the fact that his condition was diagnosed in 1992, the year he started working with the Iceman.

Other scientist who still work with Otzi to this day, are still alive and well. However, the 7 who are now deceased were the only ones directly linked to the direct DISCOVERY of Otzi's body.

Reconstruction of what Otzi may have looked like