British adventurer’s foot believed to have been found on Everest just over 100 years after disappearance
The foot of a British adventurer is believed to have been found on Mount Everest after 100 years of speculation about his disappearance.
Andrew “Sandy” Irvine was the youngest member of the 1924 Mount Everest expedition and was lost on the upper slopes of the mountain with George Mallory when the two vanished on 8 June that year.
Mr Irvine, 22, and Mr Mallory, 38, were last seen when they were about 800 feet from the summit as they attempted the first successful ascent of the mountain.
The mystery of whether the duo reached the top before their disappearance has been debated by climbers and historians for decades.
There have also been several searches for Mr Irvine’s remains after Mr Mallory’s were discovered by a climber in 1999.
In the latest development, a foot encased inside a sock and a boot was discovered on the Central Rongbuk Glacier below the North Face of Everest by a team funded by National Geographic Documentary Films for an upcoming documentary.
Crucially the sock is embroidered with the name “AC Irvine”.
Pic: PA
The finding is the first possible proof of Mr Irvine’s death since the ill-fated 1924 expedition on the 8,849-metre mountain.
The Irvine family has volunteered to compare DNA test results with the remains to confirm his identity.
The foot was found at a lower altitude than Mr Mallory’s remains, which are now in the possession of the China Tibet Mountaineering Association.
The discovery was reported to the Royal Geographical Society – who jointly organised Mr Mallory and Mr Irvine’s expedition along with the Alpine Club.
Jimmy Chin, a National Geographic Explorer who was a member of the climb team that discovered the foot, said: “Sometimes in life, the greatest discoveries occur when you aren’t even looking.
“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.”
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Pic: PA
Irvine’s great-niece and biographer, Julie Summers, said she had been “moved to tears” when she found out about the discovery.
“I have lived with this story since I was a seven-year-old when my father told us about the mystery of Uncle Sandy on Everest,” she said.
“The story became more real when climbers found the body of George Mallory in 1999, and I wondered if Sandy’s body would be discovered next.
“A quarter-of-a-century after that discovery, it seemed extremely unlikely that anything new would be found.
“When Jimmy told me that he saw the name AC Irvine on the label on the sock inside the boot, I found myself moved to tears. It was and will remain an extraordinary and poignant moment.”
The North Face of Mount Everest. Pic: AP
Professor Joe Smith, director of the Royal Geographical Society, said of the discovery: “As joint organiser of the 1924 Everest expedition (with the Alpine Club), the society deeply appreciates the respect Jimmy Chin’s team has shown Sandy Irvine’s remains and their sensitivity toward Sandy’s family members and others connected to that expedition.
“Sandy was an exceptional figure and made a significant contribution to our understanding of Everest and the Himalaya.”
An Irvine family statement said: “We are grateful to the mountaineering and film team, led by Jimmy Chin, who made the discovery and who have treated it with respect and professionalism.”
Two pro-Palestinian demonstrators have thrown red powder on Tower Bridge – just moments before leading runners in the London Marathon went past.
The protesters were arrested on suspicion of causing a public nuisance and remain in custody, said the Metropolitan Police.
A video shared by Youth Demand, which is calling for a trade embargo on Israel, shows two people jumping over a barrier that separates spectators from the race course.
The pair, wearing t-shirts that say “Youth Demand: Stop Arming Israel”, are then seen standing in the middle of the road on the bridge.
Pic: LNP
They throw red powder in the air as an official marathon car goes past displaying the race time.
A motorbike with a cameraman on board continues along the route, while a second motorbike stops and one of the riders gets off and pushes the pair out of the way, just before the men’s elite runners pass.
Several police officers then jump over the barrier and detain the pair, the footage shows.
There appeared to be no impact on the marathon.
More than 56,000 participants were expected to take part in the 26.2-mile race through the capital.
Sabastian Sawe of Kenya won the men’s elite race in a time of two hours, two minutes and 27 seconds, while Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa shattered the women’s-only world record in two hours, 15 minutes and 50 seconds.
Assefa beat the previous best of two hours, 16 minutes and 16 seconds set last year in London by Kenyan Peres Jepchirchir.
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Pic: LNP
The Metropolitan Police said in a statement: “At around 10.38am, two protesters from Youth Demand jumped over barriers at Tower Bridge and threw red paint on to the road.
“Marathon event staff intervened to remove the protesters from the path of the men’s elite race which was able to pass unobstructed.”
The force added that they were “quickly supported by police officers who arrested the protesters on suspicion of causing a public nuisance”.
The Met said the paint “appeared to be chalk-based” and was not expected to “present a hazard to runners yet to pass this point”.
Counter-terrorism police are investigating after an incident involving a crossbow and a firearm left two women injured in Leeds.
Police were called to Otley Road at 2.47pm on Saturday to reports of a “serious incident involving a man seen with weapons”, West Yorkshire Police said.
Officers arrived at the scene to find two women injured – and a 38-year-old man with a self-inflicted injury. All three were taken to hospital, with the man held under arrest, but their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
“Two weapons have been recovered from the scene, which were a crossbow and a firearm,” Counter Terrorism Policing North East said in a statement.
The incident happened on the ‘Otley Run’ pub crawl, with one venue saying it was closed for the evening due to “unforeseen circumstances”.
Officers guard one of the crime scenes
Officers inside the cordon in Leeds
Counter Terrorism Policing’s statement added: “Due to the circumstances surrounding the incident, Counter Terrorism Policing North East have taken responsibility for leading the investigation with the support of West Yorkshire Police.
“Extensive enquiries continue to establish the full circumstances and explore any potential motivation.”
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described it as a “serious violent incident” and said she was being kept updated by police.
“Thank you to the police and emergency services for their swift response,” she said. “My thoughts are with the victims and all those affected by this attack.”
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