Family of missing Aussie hiker in Nepal share statement after deadly floods

The parents of a young Aussie woman have shared the first moment they heard her voice after she went missing amid catastophic floods in Nepal and Tibet on Wednesday.

Cara Severino was one of 41 missing Australians, and more than 3000 people, who could not be accounted for when a wall of water, mud and debris destroyed and stranded communities in the mountainous Rasuwa region a near the Tibetan border.

The Wollongong woman had been hiking the multi-day Langtang trek through Nepal when the flash flood hit and she became stranded at Kyanjin Gompa, a mountainous village and Buddhist monastery in the north.

Cara’s family went two nights fearing for her safety, before she made contact with them on Friday.

“We are beyond relieved and so elated to have Cara safe and well and we can’t wait to hold her in our loving arms,” her parents Debbie and Frank Severino said in a statement on Sunday.

“Seeing Cara’s name appear on my message bank, hearing her voice and now seeing her photo and speaking with her has been the most miraculous gift.”

Cara was located, and brought to safety by Nepalese hiking partners, who encounted devastation in their path.

“We passed a guy hiking up to Thulu Safru who lost his whole family,” Cara previously said .

Her parents expressed gratitude for all who helped keep Cara safe, and sadness for the families still waiting to hear from their loved ones.

“We are incredibly thankful to the Australian Consular Response teams for locating her and bringing her to safety and for the care they are giving her and all the amazing work they are doing to locate others,” Debbie and Frank said.

“We are so grateful to her Nepalese hiking partners who saw her through a harrowing several days of hiking in very difficult terrain, so thankful that they have all made it to safety.

“The scale of this tragedy is staggering and amidst our personal joy we continue to stand in prayer with the many families here in Australia, in Nepal and around the world who have lost loved ones or are still waiting to hear from them, we know that the waiting is horrendous.

“We would encourage those who are able to donate to the relief effort, to do so via the Emergency Action Alliance webpage, as we stand in solidarity with the Nepalese community.

“As Cara is processing and recovering from all that she has been through we expressly ask for all attention to be directed to recovery efforts and the Nepalese community at this tragic time.”