Breakthrough Discovery: British Explorer Andrew ‘Sandy’ Irvine Partly Believed To Be Found On Mount Everest After 100 Years

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Discovery Made by Expedition Team Led by Jimmy Chin During Mount Everest Climb for National Geographic’s Upcoming Documentary Film, Reported exclusively on NatGeo.com

The evidence is the first evidence of Irvine’s death since he disappeared during the 1924 expedition with George Mallory, which was still found on Everest in 1999 by Conrad Anker.

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NatGeo.com story: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/article/sandy-irvine-body-found-everest

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WASHINGTON – After 100 years of speculation about his fate, the remains of Andrew Comyn “Sandy” Irvine are believed to have finally been found on Mount Everest. At the age of 22, Irvine disappeared while attempting to conquer the world’s highest peak on June 8, 1924, along with his climbing partner, the famous mountaineer George Mallory.

This discovery was made recently by a small team including National Geographic Explorer, photographer, Academy Award^Ⓡ-winning director and professional climber Jimmy Chin along with climbers and filmmakers Erich Roepke and Mark Fisher. What is believed to be Irvine’s foot, wrapped in socks and boots, was found in the Central Crevasse Glacier below Everest’s North Face at a lower elevation than Mallory’s remains. The partial remains – identified by names sewn into socks – now belong to the China Tibet Mountaineering Association, which is responsible for climbing permits on the north side of Everest.

The discovery was reported to the Royal Geographical Society – which jointly organized Mallory and Irvine’s expedition along with the Alpine Club – which at the time was only the third British ascent of Mount Everest. It was also shared with Irvine’s nephew and biographer, Julie Summers – one of many living family relatives. Irvine’s family has volunteered to compare DNA test results with the remains to confirm Irvine’s identity.

“Any expedition to Everest follows in the shadow of Irvine and Mallory,” Chin said. “We always do. And sometimes in life, the greatest discoveries happen when you are not looking. This is a monumental and emotional moment for us and all the teams in the field, and we hope that this will finally bring peace of mind to his brothers and the world of climbing.

“It is very good that this discovery was made in the centenary year of Sandy’s disappearance,” said Summers. “I have lived with this story since I was 7 years old when my father told me about the mystery of Uncle Sandy on Everest. The story became real when climbers found the body of George Mallory in 1999, and I wondered if Sandy’s body would be found next. A quarter of a century later The discovery, it seems, is nothing new. When Jimmy told me that he saw the name AC Irvine on the label inside the boot, I found myself moved to tears. It was and will remain an extraordinary and exciting moment.

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Professor Joe Smith, director of the Royal Geographical Society, said of the discovery: “As joint organizers of the 1924 Everest expedition (with the Alpine Club), the Society is very appreciative of Jimmy Chin’s team for showing Sandy Irvine’s remains and their sensitivity towards them. Sandy’s family members and others associated with the expedition. Sandy is a remarkable figure and has made a significant contribution to our understanding of Everest and the Himalayas. The discovery of these remains provides an element of closure for his brothers and the wider mountaineering community, and we applaud him thanks to Jimmy and the team for making this possible and ensuring Sandy is in safe hands. The community will continue to support Jimmy, the team and Sandy’s family during what will be a period of intense global interest.

Irvine and Mallory were British mountaineers who disappeared in 1924 during an expedition organized by the Royal Geographical Society and the Alpine Club to become the first to climb the summit of Everest. The mystery of whether he reached the summit before his death has fascinated climbers and historians for decades. Mallory’s body was found in 1999 by a hiker Conrad Ankerbut until now, Irvine’s remains have never been found.

Team Climbing is funded by National Geographic Documentary Films for an upcoming documentary directed and produced by the Academy Award- and BAFTA Award-winning team behind “Free Solo,” E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Chin, and Little Monster Films banner.

Irvine Family Statement on Discovery:

“The Irvine family is very happy to hear of the discovery of the remains of Sandy Irvine. We are grateful to the mountain climbing and film team, led by Jimmy Chin, who made the discovery and who have treated it with respect and professionalism. We are happy that the remains are now in our hands CTMA. Sandy Irvine was the youngest member of the 1924 Mount Everest expedition and disappeared on the upper slopes of the mountain with George Mallory when they both disappeared on June 8, 1924.

About JIMMY CHIN

Chin is a professional hiker, skier, mountaineer, 20-year member of The North Face Athlete Team and a National Geographic Explorer. Consistently over the past 20 years, Chin has led or participated in climbing and ski mountaineering expeditions to all seven continents and participated in America’s first and only ski descent from the summit of Mount Everest. He is also a National Geographic filmmaker and photographer. He has worked with many of today’s greatest explorers, adventurers and athletes, documenting their exploits in the world’s most challenging conditions and locations. Together with his wife, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, he has directed the films “Meru”, “Solo Gratis”, “The Rescue”, “Wild Life”, “Return To Space”, and his first scripted feature, “Nyad.” The next documentary feature , “Endurance” premiered this weekend at the BFI London Film Festival. Chin and Vasarhleyi won the Best Documentary Oscar^® in 2019 for “Free Solo.”

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NatGeo.com story: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/article/sandy-irvine-body-found-everest

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