Arabic version: عائلة تسعى للانضمام إلى البحث عن رينيه المفقودة

According to The Guardian, Renee, an Australian disability support worker from the Sunshine Coast, arrived at Gyirong Port about 10 minutes before flooding struck and is now missing. The port was among the hardest-hit areas, with images from Chinese rescue teams showing widespread destruction.

Renee’s sister, Clair Spry, has started a GoFundMe campaign so Renee’s partner, Shaun, and their daughters, Lily and Ruby, can travel from Australia to Nepal. Shaun, an emergency nurse, wants to go to Gyirong Port to search for signs of Renee, while the couple’s daughters do not want him to make the journey alone.

Spry said access to the area had not been possible in the first few days, but the family still wanted to travel if they could. She said they hoped that, if Renee were found, they could bring her home. The family understands the severity of the flooding and how unlikely survival may be for people in the affected area, but retains hope until there is certainty.

Renee had travelled to Nepal on a pilgrimage and was described by Spry as deeply spiritual and committed to helping others. Spry said her sister would not want attention focused on herself, but on Nepali people who had been displaced or needed aid, as well as on the impact of global warming on economically vulnerable populations.