A young man from B.C.’s Okanagan thought to be missing in Nepal’s devastating avalanches has been found safe.
The family of Matt Adams, 29, said they heard from him Thursday night after trying to get in touch with him in the Himalayas.
Adams, described as an experienced outdoorsman, left West Kelowna in September for a tour of Nepal that included hiking around the Annapurna circuit.
The death toll of the blizzards and avalanches in the area stands at 29 people, including four Canadians.
Among the victims is Jan Rooks, a Vancouver cardiology nurse clinician who works for BC Childrens’ Hospital.
Her husband Grant Tomlinson and another couple they were with are said to have escaped the avalanche after Rooks was swept away.
Tomlinson is staying on the mountain to search for his wife’s body.
Speaking to CTV News, he said too many things were going wrong, and they walked into a trap.
"When the first avalanche hit we should have turned around and gone back," he said. "But the problem was we were all split up at that point and our porters were ahead of us. So we decided to carry on and my wife lost her life."
A message on the Children's Heart Network described Rooks as a loving health care worker who was specially gifted at putting patients at ease.
Search parties are still looking for another Canadian, 29-year-old Genevieve Adam from Quebec City.
With files from The Canadian Press
