Recent reports suggest that human remains found on Mount Everest may belong to British climber Andrew Irvine, who vanished along with his climbing partner George Mallory in 1924.
The duo disappeared while attempting to become the first to summit the world's highest peak, standing at 8,848 meters (29,029 feet).
While Mallory's body was discovered in 1999, Irvine's fate has remained one of mountaineering's most enduring mysteries. The new discovery was made by a documentary team on Everest's Central Rongbuk Glacier. They reportedly found a boot containing a human foot and a sock labeled "A.C. IRVINE."
This finding could provide crucial clues about whether Irvine and Mallory reached the summit before their disappearance. If proven, it would mean they conquered Everest nearly three decades before the first confirmed ascent by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953.
Julie Summers, Irvine's great-niece, expressed profound emotion upon hearing the news. "I have lived with this story since I was seven," she said. "Seeing his name on the sock is both extraordinary and poignant."
The Irvine family has offered to provide DNA samples to confirm the identity of the remains. Mountaineer and National Geographic explorer Jimmy Chin, part of the discovery team, chose not to disclose the exact location to prevent potential looting. "It certainly reduces the search area," he noted, expressing hope that other artifacts, such as Irvine's camera, might be found nearby.
Finding the camera could potentially rewrite the history of mountaineering by providing evidence of whether the pair reached the summit. Since the 1920s, over 300 climbers have lost their lives on Mount Everest, and melting glaciers due to climate change are increasingly revealing long-hidden remains.
The mountaineering community awaits confirmation, as this discovery could solve a century-old mystery and honor the legacy of two pioneers.