Kluane park remains confirmed to be Till Moritz Gerull

Yukon's coroner has confirmed the human remains found in Kluane National Park were those of Till Moritz Gerull, a German tourist who went missing in 2011.

Chief Coroner Kirsten MacDonald says the identity was confirmed through DNA testing.

"We did have a specialist look at the dental remains and then not finding that to be conclusive we decided to follow the DNA avenue," she said.

Human bones were discovered in the park last fall. Then, searchers found a skull, jaw bone and teeth this spring in an area near Hoge Creek. A backpack and camping gear were also found in the area where Gerull's remains were located.

MacDonald says she is still trying to determine the cause of death.  

Gerull flew from Frankfurt to Whitehorse on June 8, 2011. He did not take his flight back to Germany and his flight wasn't rebooked. He had previously hiked the Donjek route in 2010.

"I'll be meeting with the family and we'll be able to return some personal effects to them and hopefully that will provide them some closure," said MacDonald. 

Parts of Kluane Park's popular Donjek route were closed in May while the search was underway.

MacDonald thanked members of the RCMP, Parks Canada and Yukon Search and Rescue who searched for and recovered remains this spring.

"Those three agencies and groups really pulled off a remarkable feat in going back into the Donjek region," she said. "This is not an easy region; there are significant wildlife encounters there and the landscape is difficult. Through their professionalism and their dedication they pulled off a very remarkable search.”

The investigation into his death remains open.