Published May 20, 2026 09:32AM Patience turned to dread as the members of the joint British and Nepalese Army Everest Expedition waited for news from the summit. Two elite special-forces soldiers, Michael “Bronco” Lane and John “Brummie” Stokes, had departed for the peak early on May 16, 1976, but as light faded with no news of the pair’s return, everyone began to expect the worst. Tension mounted with each passing second.