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The remains of a British climber have been found that may belong to one of the first two men to summit Mount Everest a century ago, according to a National Geographic-led expedition.

A foot was found on the glacier

The National Geographic Channel said on Friday that during the expedition, a foot was found on the Central Rongbuk Glacier below the northern face of Mount Everest. The sock on this foot has the words "AC Irwin" embroidered on it. This foot may belong to Andrew "Sandy" Irwin. 

Irwin disappeared in 1924

Irvine disappeared when he was 22, along with co-climber George Mallory, near the summit of Everest on June 8, 1924. The pair, seeking to be the first to summit Everest, were last seen about 800 feet (245 meters) from the summit.

Mallory's body was found in 1999. There is no evidence to suggest that the two reached the summit of Everest before Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay.

The stockings and boots were found on the Central Rongbuk Glacier, below the northern face of Mount Everest, at a lower altitude than Mallory's remains.

"It was a memorable and emotional moment for us and our whole team on the ground, and we just hope that it can finally bring some peace of mind to his relatives and the people who went climbing," said Jimmy Chin, a member of the climbing team and a National Geographic explorer.

The Irwin family is now undergoing DNA testing

Chin did not say where the remains were found because he wants to discourage trophy hunters. The Irwin family has volunteered to compare DNA test results with the remains to confirm his identity. His niece and biographer Julie Summers said she was emotional when she learned of the discovery.

What did Irwin's niece say

The niece said, "I have lived with this story since I was 7 years old when my father told us about the secret of Uncle Sandy on Everest. When Jimmy told me he saw AC Irvine's name on the label on the sock inside the boot, I got emotional. It was an extraordinary and touching moment."


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