For two terrifying days, Debbie and Frank Severino had no idea whether their 26-year-old daughter, Cara, was alive.
Cara had been trekking through Nepal’s Langtang Valley when devastating flooding struck the region. What began as an adventure in the Himalayas suddenly became a desperate wait for her parents thousands of miles away in Sydney, Australia.
The disaster unfolded on August 26 after a massive glacial collapse near the Nepal-China border sent an enormous surge of water through the mountainous region. The force of the landslide was so powerful that the resulting ground movement was measured at the equivalent of a magnitude 5.2 earthquake by the U.S. Geological Survey, according to Fox Weather.
Cara was in the Kyanjin Gompa area when the disaster occurred. The remote mountain village is home to a Buddhist monastery and sits high in the Langtang Valley.
Although Cara was not directly caught in the worst of the floodwaters, the disaster created another serious problem: communication disappeared.
With regional networks down and her phone battery exhausted, Cara had no way to contact her family. Back in Australia, her parents could only watch news reports as authorities struggled to determine the extent of the devastation.
For Debbie and Frank, every passing hour brought more uncertainty.
Then, after approximately 48 hours without contact, their situation suddenly changed.
Their phone rang with a message from Cara.
She had found enough signal to leave a voicemail, letting her family know that she was alive.
The news was later confirmed by Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, who said consular officials had located Cara and helped get her to safety. For the Severino family, the confirmation brought enormous relief after two days of fearing the worst.
The family also credited the Nepalese hiking crew that had remained with Cara during the ordeal. Her guides and fellow trekkers played an important role in helping her navigate the dangerous conditions and eventually reach safety.
Cara later expressed her gratitude toward the people who had been with her since the beginning of the trek. She also acknowledged the families who were still waiting for news about missing relatives, saying she understood how painful that uncertainty could be.
Her parents now face the bittersweet reality of knowing their daughter is safe while countless other families remain caught in the same agonizing wait.
The disaster has caused widespread destruction across the region. Reports indicate that the death toll has climbed above 1,000, while thousands of people remain unaccounted for in Nepal and China. Rescue teams have also been searching for workers believed to be trapped inside flooded hydropower tunnels.
Australians have been among those affected, with reports indicating that several remain missing.
The Severinos say they are deeply grateful that their own family received the news everyone was hoping for. At the same time, they have encouraged people to support relief and recovery efforts assisting those who were not as fortunate.
For one family, two days of silence finally ended with a message they had almost stopped hoping to receive.
Their daughter was alive.
