Missing father-daughter from Bardoli on trek to Nepal found buried under snow

A wave of grief swept across Kadod town in Bardoli taluka after the bodies of a father and daughter, who had gone missing while trekking in Nepal’s Manang region, were recovered from heavy snow on Sunday.

Jignesh Lallubhai Patel of Kadod had left for Nepal on October 14 this year along with his 17-year-old daughter, Priyadarshini alias Priyanshi. 

The duo, trekking enthusiasts since 2018, had checked into a hotel in Manang and set out for a trek on October 21. They were scheduled to return on October 31, but lost contact soon after beginning their route.

When the hotel staff was unable to reach them, they alerted the Armed Police Force (APF) of Nepal and the Nepal Mountaineering Rescue Academy in Manang. Initial search operations were conducted, but the two could not be traced due to harsh weather conditions.

On Sunday, under the command of APF Deputy Superintendent Hirabahadur Jeesi, a specialised mountain rescue team was deployed once again. According to APF co-spokesperson DSP Shailendra Thapa, the team discovered the bodies nearly 100 metres above a monastery site. Both had been buried under snow following severe weather and heavy snowfall in the region.

The rescue team retrieved the bodies at around 2 pm on Sunday.