By JESSE GRAHAM
TWO Healesville residents travelling through Nepal during last weekend’s devastating earthquake are alive and well, according to close family members.
Healesville’s Kent Highgate and Karen O’Brien were reported among the missing shortly after the 7.9 magnitude earthquake hit on Saturday 25 April, but have been located and are out of harm’s way, according to a family member.
Cherie Highgate said the pair, 56 and 53, were trekking through the country and had left Kathmandu before the earthquake hit.
They had been heading towards Mount Everest Base Camp, but were not in the area at the time of the earthquake.
Though contacting them had been difficult through the weekend, the pair had passed on a message that they were okay and Cherie said the family was waiting to hear from them about an exit strategy.
The powerful earthquake hit parts of Nepal on Saturday, killing more than 1800 people and leaving thousands more injured, with multiple building collapses devastating the country.
Ms Highgate said they had been inundated with text messages and calls after media reports surfaced about the pair being missing, but wanted to reassure people that they were safe and sound.
She said both of the pair were professionally trained in emergency response.
More as it comes.
To donate to the Red Cross’s Nepal Earthquake appeal, visit www.redcross.org.au/nepal-earthquake-2015.
