The partial remains of tragic Everest climber Andrew “Sandy” Irvine are believed to have been found 100 years after his disappearance.
Irvine disappeared at the age of 22 with his climbing partner, renowned mountaineer George Mallory, in June 1924 while attempting to become the first to summit the world's highest peak.
Some experts believe Irvine and Mallory, 37, may have actually achieved their goal before they died because they were last seen about 250 meters from the summit and may have been descending when they fell.
They both carried a Kodak camera which, if found, may contain photos proving they reached the summit almost 30 years before Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953.
What is believed to be Irvine's foot, encased in a sock and shoe, was found on Everest's central Rongbuk Glacier, below the mountain's north face and at a lower elevation than where Mallory's remains were discovered in 1999.
Incredibly, Irvine's remains were identified by the name stitched into his sock: AC Irvine. His middle name was Comyn.
Irvine's family said in a statement that they were “deeply moved” by the news of the find.
The partial remains of tragic Everest climber Andrew “Sandy” Irvine are believed to have been found 100 years after his disappearance. What is believed to be Irvine's foot, wrapped in a sock and shoe, was found on Everest's central Rongbuk Glacier, below the mountain's north face. Irvine's remains were identified by the name stitched on his sock: AC Irvine
Irvine (left) disappeared at the age of 22 with his climbing partner, renowned mountaineer George Mallory, in June 1924.
A small team dispatched by National Geographic, including Oscar-winning director and climber Jimmy Chin and fellow climbers and filmmakers Erich Roepke and Mark Fisher, recently made a discovery: the magazine announced today.
Original Daily Mail coverage of the deaths of Sandy Irvine and George Mallory
The remains are currently in the possession of the Chinese Tibetan Mountaineering Association, the authority that issues climbing permits on the north side of Everest.
The find was reported to the Royal Geographical Society, the body that organized Mallory and Irvine's original expedition, along with the Alpine Club.
Irvine's family, which includes his great-niece and biographer Julie Summers, volunteered to compare DNA test results to the remains to confirm they were Irvine's.
In 2021, author Mark Synnott in his book The Third Pole: Mystery, Obsession, and Death on Mount Everest speculated that Chinese climbers may have found Irvine's body and camera and then removed the evidence.
The Vest Pocket Kodak camera that Mallory borrowed from fellow mountaineer Howard Somervell was never found.
It may have included key photos confirming that the men had reached the summit of Everest.
Mallory's body in hobnails was found just 600 meters from the summit of Everest in 1999.
He had a rope around his waist and injuries indicating the possibility that he and Irvine may have fallen while they were tied with the rope.
Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay are still credited with being the first climbers to reach the top of the Himalayas, which stretch between Nepal and China, on their 1953 expedition.
However, if Mallory and Irvine had been the first to reach the summit of Everest, they would also have been the first to do so on the deadly North Face, almost 40 years before Chinese climbers achieved the feat in 1960.
A statement from Irvine's family said: 'The Irvine family is deeply saddened by the news of the discovery of Sandy Irvine's partial remains.
“We are grateful to the mountaineering and filming team, led by Jimmy Chin, who made the discovery and treated it with respect and professionalism.
“We are glad that the remains are now in the hands of CTMA.
“Sandy Irvine was the youngest member of the 1924 Everest expedition and was lost on the mountain's upper slopes with George Mallory when they both disappeared on June 8, 1924.”
The foot and shoe were found on Everest's central Rongbuk Glacier, below the mountain's north face and at a lower elevation than where Mallory's remains were found in 1999.
As National Geographic revealed today, the discovery was recently made by a small team including Oscar-winning director and climber Jimmy Chin and fellow climbers and filmmakers Erich Roepke and Mark Fisher. Above: Mr. Chin with what appears to be Irvine's remains
Irvine (top left) and Mallory (top row, second from left) pictured with other members of the 1924 Everest expedition
George Mallory and Andrew Irvine are seen at a base in Nepal
Mrs Summers said: “It is extraordinary that this discovery was made on the 100th anniversary of Sandy's disappearance.
“I have lived with this story since I was 7 years old, when my father told us about the secret of Uncle Sandy on Everest.”
She added: “When Jimmy told me he saw the AC Irvine name on the sock tag inside the shoe, I was moved to tears. It was and will remain an extraordinary and touching moment.
Chin said: “Every expedition to Everest is done in the shadow of Irvine and Mallory,” Chin said.
– Certainly yes. And sometimes in life, the greatest discoveries happen when you're not even looking.
“It was a monumental and emotional moment for us and our entire team on the ground, and we hope it will finally provide peace of mind for his loved ones and the entire climbing world.”
Professor Joe Smith, director of the Royal Geographical Society, said of the discovery: “As co-organizer of the 1924 Everest expedition (with the Alpine Club), the Society deeply appreciates the respect shown by Jimmy Chin's team to the remains of Sandy Irvine, and their sensitivity towards Sandy's family members and others associated with this expedition.
He added: “This discovery of his remains provides an element of closure for his loved ones and the wider mountaineering community and we are grateful to Jimmy and his team for making this possible and ensuring Sandy is in good hands.
“The Society will continue to support Jimmy, his team and Sandy's extended family during what will inevitably be a period of intense interest around the world.”
