LONDON — The remains of Andrew "Sandy" Irvine, a British mountaineer who disappeared on Mount Everest almost 100 years ago, have reportedly been discovered by a National Geographic team, according to an exclusive report by the outlet.

Irvine, along with fellow climber George Mallory, vanished during an expedition to summit the world's highest peak in 1924, sparking one of the greatest mysteries in mountaineering history: did they reach the summit before their tragic deaths?

The team, led by renowned photographer and director Jimmy Chin, made the groundbreaking discovery on the Central Rongbuk Glacier, not far from where Mallory’s body was found in 1999.

Speaking about the moment of discovery, Chin recounted to an American television network, "I lifted up the sock, and there’s a red label that has A.C. IRVINE stitched into it."

Recognizing the importance of the find, Chin and his team were overcome with emotion, with Chin admitting, "We were all literally running in circles dropping F-bombs."

The discovery has reignited hopes of solving the century-old mystery, as Irvine was believed to be carrying a camera that may contain crucial evidence, potentially proving whether he and Mallory reached the summit before their deaths.

Julie Summers, Irvine’s great-niece, expressed a bittersweet sense of closure. "It’s an object that belonged to him and has a bit of him in it," she said of the boot found with the remains. "It tells the whole story about what probably happened."

DNA samples from Irvine’s relatives have been offered to confirm the identity of the remains, bringing mountaineering enthusiasts one step closer to unraveling one of the sport’s longest-standing mysteries. — Agencies