The mystery of Irvine, who vanished into clouds as mist swept over the Himalayan Summit, was finally solved after 100 years when the National Geographic team spotted a boot melting out of the ice on Mount Everest in September.
Andrew “Sandy” Ivrine disappeared on Everest on June 8 1924 along with his partner George Mallory while attempting to become the first people to climb the world’s highest peak, the National Geographic said in a report.
The team of National Geographic, in September, stumbled on a preserved boot, revealed by melting ice on a glacier. After examining the boot closely, they discovered a sock with “a red label that has A.C. IRVINE stitched into it.”
This discovery could provide further clues about the location of the team’s personal effects and may help resolve the mystery of whether Irvine and Mallory ever reached the summit, nearly three decades before the first recognised summit by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953.
His partner Mallory’s remains were located in 1999, while the whereabouts of Irvine’s were unknown.
“It’s the first real evidence of where Sandy ended up,” National Geographic documentary director Jimmy Chin said. “A lot of theories have been put out there.” He hopes the discovery helps explain what happened on the mountain in 1924, and brings some closure to Irvine’s relatives who revere him still.
“When someone disappears and there’s no evidence of what happened to them, it can be really challenging for families. And just having some definitive information of where Sandy might’ve ended up is certainly [helpful], and also a big clue for the climbing community as to what happened,” he added.
Irvine’s great-niece, Julie Summers, was moved to tears upon learning of the discovery, stating, “It tells the whole story about what probably happened.”
The Irvine family has offered to share DNA samples to confirm the identity of the remains. Irvine was only 22 years old when he went missing on June 8, 1924, during the final ascent to the summit with Mallory, according to National Geographic .
Earlier this year, Mallory’s final letter to his wife was digitized and published online by Cambridge University, revealing his doubts about their chances of reaching the summit.
Irvine is believed to have been carrying a vest camera, the discovery of which could rewrite mountaineering history. Climb team member and National Geographic explorer Jimmy Chin did not disclose the exact location of the remains to discourage trophy hunters but “it certainly reduces the search area.”