He Vanished While Climbing Mount Everest Over 100 Years Ago, But His Foot May Have Finally Been Found, Stuck In A Boot And Wearing A Sock Labeled With His Name
More than 100 years ago, a 22-year-old British explorer named Andrew Comyn “Sandy” Irvine vanished along with the mountaineer George Mallory while climbing Mount Everest in June 1924. The pair aimed to become the first people to scale the tallest peak in the world.
Climate change is melting snow and ice around the Himalayas, revealing the bodies of long-buried mountaineers who died trying to make it to the top of Everest.
Now, it is believed that the remains of Sandy Irvine have finally been found. Whether they were successful in making it to the top before they died is still a mystery.
In 1999, Mallory’s remains were discovered. A photograph of his wife was missing from his belongings.
He had planned to leave the photo on the summit when they reached it. Irvine’s body was never recovered. He had been carrying a Kodak camera that may have recorded their possible arrival at the summit.
In 1953, 29 years after Mallory and Irvine’s expedition, the peak was officially reached by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. They scaled Everest from its south side.
Recently, a documentary team from National Geographic has found what they think is Irvine’s foot. The foot was stuck in a boot, and wearing a sock that was labeled with Irvine’s name.
It was discovered on Everest’s Central Rongbuk Glacier, further down from Mallory’s remains.
“I lifted up the sock, and there’s a red label that has A.C. Irvine stitched into it,” said Jimmy Chin, an Oscar-winning director who is part of the documentary team.
Irvine and Mallory were last seen on June 8, 1924. Noel Odell, one of their expedition teammates, reported seeing the two as tiny black dots on the mountain.
Andrii Vergeles – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
Mallory’s remains were found by the U.S. rock climber Conrad Anker less than 2,000 feet from the summit.
There was a rope tied around the body’s waist. His body also showed injuries that suggested the pair had fallen while he and Irvine were connected.
Chin and his team searched the area near where Mallory’s remains were found and managed to locate the boot protruding from the half-melted ice.
“This was a monumental and emotional moment for us and our entire team on the ground, and we just hope this can finally bring peace of mind to his relatives and the climbing world at large,” said Chin.
Irvine’s remains were sent to the China Tibet Mountaineering Association, which authorizes climbers on Everest’s north side.
The find was also reported to the organizer of Irvine and Mallory’s expedition, the Royal Geographical Society, as well as to Julie Summers, the great-niece of Irvine.
Members of the Irvine family reportedly volunteered to share DNA samples to confirm the identity of the remains.
Meanwhile, Chin and his team will continue searching for more artifacts, namely Irvine’s camera.
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