The partial remains of Andrew 'Sandy' Irvine - who vanished on Mount Everest - have been discovered 100 years after he went missing.
The explorer disappeared at the age of 22 on June 8, 1924 while trying to scale the world's highest peak alongside his climbing partner, mountaineer George Mallory, 37.
Remains, believed to be those of Irvine, were found on the Central Rongbuk Glacier beneath Everest's North Face, including a foot still inside a sock and boot.
A National Geographic team - comprised of explorer Jimmy Chin, a photographer, director, and climber, as well as filmmakers Erich Roepke and Mark Fisher - made the discovery.
The partial remains of Andrew 'Sandy' Irvine - who vanished on Mount Everest - have been discovered 100 years after he went missingPAThe team said they located a sock which bore Irvine's name - aiding identification.
Mallory’s remains were found in 1999, but at a higher elevation than where Irvine foot was discovered.
The long-standing mystery of whether the pair reached Everest’s summit before their deaths has captivated climbers and historians.
The duo were last seen alive around 240 meters from the peak.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
The discovery was reported to the Royal Geographical Society, which co-organised the expedition with the Alpine Club.
Irvine's great niece, Julie Summers, was also informed, along with other living relatives.
The family has offered to conduct DNA testing to confirm the remains' identity.
Jimmy Chin, a professional mountaineer and director of the 2018 climbing docufilm Free Solo said: "Sometimes in life, the greatest discoveries occur when you aren’t even looking.
Remains, believed to be those of Irvine, were found on the Central Rongbuk Glacier beneath Everest's North Face, including a foot still inside a sock and boot
PA
"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.
“It’s the first real evidence of where Sandy ended up. A lot of theories have been put out there.
"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."
