During the filming of a National Geographic documentary, the remains of a man who died climbing Mt Everest were found over 100 years later.
Videos by Suggest
The group who made the discovery included Oscar winner Jimmy Chin, filmmaker of the doc Free Solo. According to Deadline, the team found “what is believed to be the foot encased in a sock and boot of Andrew Irvine.” Irvine disappeared, along with his partner George Mallory, in 1924 while trying to climb their way to the top of Mt. Everest, the world’s tallest mountain.
The duo were part of the third British expedition to attempt to climb the mountain. They would have been the first to succeed. Several people have tried to find Irvine’s remains throughout the years. They had hoped to figure out whether or not he made it to the top of Mt Everest.
Filmmaker Jimmy Chin and his team have reported to have found the foot on the Central Rongbuk Glacier. This is located right below the North Face of Everest. The remains are now in the possession of the China Tibet Mountaineering Association.
A climber, Conrad Anker, had found Mallory’s body in 1999, but Irvine’s body remained unfound. The recently found foot was found at a lower altitude than Mallory’s. It also included the words “A.C. Irvine” stitched into the inside of the boot.
Andrew Irvine’s Family Provides DNA Sample to Confirm Identity
In an article by BBC, it’s explained that Irvine’s family had nearly given up finding any of his remains. Irvine’s great niece Julie Summers told BBC, “I just froze…. We had all given up any hope any trace of him would be found.”
Although it is believed that the remains belong to Andrew Irvine, a DNA sample is still required to confirm his identity. BBC reports that the family has provided a DNA sample, but the team is almost certain it belongs to Irvine. Chin even said, “I mean, dude… there’s a label on it.”
Chin discussed how much the discovery means to him and his team. He says, “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.”