Breaking News: Sandy Irvine's Body Discovered on North Side of Everest 100 Years After His Disappearance!

 

In September, a National Geographic documentary team made a remarkable discovery on Mount Everest that could help solve one of mountaineering’s greatest mysteries. While exploring a melting glacier, the team found a boot and sock, the latter still bearing the name “A.C. Irvine.” These items are believed to belong to British climber Sandy Irvine, who disappeared along with George Mallory in 1924 while attempting to be the first to reach Everest’s summit.

For nearly 100 years, the question of whether Irvine and Mallory successfully completed their climb before their tragic deaths has remained unanswered. Mallory’s body was discovered in 1999, but Irvine’s remains and the camera they carried—potentially holding vital evidence—have eluded search efforts. However, this latest find may provide the key to unraveling the mystery.

Led by "Free Solo" co-director Jimmy Chin, the expedition team discovered a foot inside the boot, believed to be Irvine’s. DNA testing is now underway to confirm the identity. If proven to be his remains, this would be the first definitive evidence of Irvine’s fate since his disappearance.

“It’s the first real clue as to where Sandy ended up,” Chin told National Geographic, noting the importance of this discovery not only to Irvine’s family but also to the climbing community, which has long speculated about what happened on that fateful climb.

A few days before the boot was found, the team came across an oxygen cylinder from a 1933 expedition that had unsuccessfully attempted to reach the summit. That expedition had discovered Irvine’s ice ax on the mountain’s northeast ridge, leading Chin and his team to believe they were close to finding his body.

After the discovery, the team carefully removed the boot and foot from the mountain, noting that birds had begun disturbing the remains. The items were handed over to the China-Tibet Mountaineering Association (CTMA) for further investigation.