ISTANBUL
A National Geographic team has reportedly discovered the remains of Andrew “Sandy” Irvine, a British mountaineer who vanished on Mount Everest nearly 100 years ago, according to National Geographic.
National Geographic reported in an exclusive news story that Irvine, along with George Mallory, attempted to summit the world’s highest peak in 1924.
Their disappearance has fueled one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in climbing history—did they reach the summit before their deaths?
Photographer and director Jimmy Chin, who led the team, described the pivotal moment of discovery, speaking to the American television network.
“I lifted up the sock,” Chin recalled: “And there’s a red label that has A.C. IRVINE stitched into it.”
Chin and his team immediately recognized the significance, with Chin adding: “We were all literally running in circles dropping F-bombs.”
The discovery was made on the Central Rongbuk Glacier, near where Mallory’s body was found in 1999.
Mallory’s remains raised many questions but offered no definitive answer about whether the two had reached the summit, according to National Geographic.
The key to solving this mystery could lie with Irvine, as he was believed to be carrying a camera that may contain crucial photographic evidence.
Irvine’s great-niece, Julie Summers, expressed a sense of closure upon hearing the news.
“It’s an object that belonged to him and has a bit of him in it,” she said of the boot discovered with the remains. “It tells the whole story about what probably happened.”
Summers and other relatives have volunteered DNA samples to help confirm the identity of the remains, marking a significant step toward solving one of mountaineering’s longest-standing mysteries.
