Missing Person

Hi Everyone,

It seems that my brother Paulius Zavadckis (19 years old from Lithuania) may be missing in Nepal. He went to volunteer for the Helambu project in Gankharka village on 27th February, 2011, but soon left the project, did a bit of travelling in Nepal (Kathmandu, Pokhara, Pang) and we have lost the contact with him since 7th March, when he last emailed us.

We have reason to suspect that my brother may still be in the area of Helambu or Langtang, because about a week after his last e-mail local people said they have seen him in the area again heading towards the Ama Yangri Temple. But he might also have had a secret wish to cross over to Tibet as he was very drawn by Buddhism. We are very worried about Paulius and would be grateful for any information about him.

Please see the photo of Paulius on my profile (I didn't know how to add it here otherwise) and we would be grateful if you could let us know if you happen to see him or hear about him while you travel in Nepal.

My e-mail is sima-z@hotmail.com
The e-mail of Honorary Consul of Lithuania in Nepal, who helps in the search is nepaltur@mos.com.np

Thank you very much
Sister of Paulius, Sima Zavadckyte

Do you have any information of the volunteering organization that he might have used? May be they may have some information regarding your brother. Or if you have any information about hotel / hostels / guest houses that he used for accommodation in Kathmandu would be another reliable source.
The picture in your profile is very small. There are many photo hosting sites in the internet. You can use some sites like http://www.photobucket.com, http://picasaweb.google.com or http://www.flickr.com are good options for hosting your picture in big size. Please host a bit large picture and post in the forum again. May be if someone has seen your brother it might be helpful for them to recognize your brother.
I wish you will find him soon! All the best! Please do not mind to write if you need any helps!

Hello Sima

I hope you find your brother safe and sound.

It might help if the moderators made this thread a sticky so it remain

s visible at the top of the list. I have already asked but more people asking might persuade them.

Good luck.

scoodly

Guideupendra, thank you very much for your response and for kind advice.

Here is the link to a bigger photo of my brother, so please have a look if you are going to Nepal, maybe you will meet him: http://s1119.photobucket.com/albums/k631/zalia_smilga/?action=view&current=Paulius.jpg

The volunteering organisation is called Helambu Project ( http://helambuproject.org/ ). We constantly have contact with them, but currently they don't have new information. While my brother was in Kathmandu he was staying in Kailash Guest House (the owners do not know where he went next), but we do not have such information about other places he visited. Basically the traces go cold from the middle of March.

We are terrible concerned and desperate to learn what happened to my brother. Any information is very appreciated.

Scoodly,

Thank you so much for your help!

I certainly agree that this should be made a sticky - two months is a very long time for someone to be missing, especially in Nepal.

Have you checked with the banks and credit card providers whether there has been any activity or attempted activity on your brother's bank debit and credit cards. Did he have any electronic devices with him - some people carry mobile phones, GPS or emergency locator. I assume that you have looked at social websites - Facebook etc for any messages or information.

Has the Consul or anyone checked with the Nepal Immigration Ministry whether he has left Nepal - he may have decided to got to India. I have never been to Tibet, but I understand that all westerners must have visas - the Chinese authorities will have records. If he tried to enter Tibet illegally, he may well have been arrested - again the Chinese authorities will advise, but you may well need the Consul or embassy in Beijing to assist with this.

I do not know how easy it is to go into Tibet from the Helambu - Langtang part of Nepal - I believe that there are routes north of Syabru Bensi to the Tibet border.

You should also post this on the Tibet and maybe India parts of this website.

Was your brother travelling alone.

My advice would be to seriously consider going out to Nepal and to begin to make inquiries. Other people who have had relatives go missing may be able to give you advice on this (Aubrey Sacco, Julian Wynne (I think) or David Koch).

You or someone may need to visit monasteries, if your brother is into Buddhism. Some monasteries are very remote.

Obviously I hope that your brother is OK - please keep us updated.

Dear rdccomments,

Thank you very much for your comment and for all your suggested ideas.

The thing is that my brother has not travelled a lot like that before, and he just wanted to take a break after studying. As far as we know, or up till we know, my brother was travelling alone, unless he met someone on the way, but we don‘t have such information. Also having read in forums on the internet that there is limited access to electricity and the usage of credit cards in the area further from Kathmandu, he didn‘t take either his phone nor a credit card (It seems quite unwise now, I know). So the way we kept in touch was through e-mails, till we got the last one at the beginning of March.

The Consul was checking with the border agency to confirm whether my brother is still in the country, but we are still waiting the results for that. The Indian embassy has been informed too, but no news from that side. We had left Tibet aside then as we thought he wouldn‘t take chances to try to get there without a visa. But thank you for suggesting that; as now it seems there is possibility it may have happened, I will try to contact Chinese authorities.

I am planning to go to Nepal soon too (at the beginning of June or even earlier, if I can arrange it) and try to locally organise the search. So thank for sharing the idea to contact the relatives of Aubrey Sacco, Julian Wynne and David Koch, that may be really helpful.

I will try to give updates on the situation. Also, if you have any more advice, it would be very appreciated.

Zalla, in your first post you mention Paulius went to Kathmandu, Pokhara and "Pang" (not sure about this last one - could it be "Dang"?). These are some distance from the Helambu. Where was he when he last emailed you Mar 7 - did he say? Are you satisfied that he really did return to the Helambu? Could it be that your search has been concentrated in the wrong area?
By the way, there is a border crossing into Tibet from Rasuwa District (northwest of the Langtang area) but it is not open to foreigners. There are only two crossings from Nepal into Tibet (Kodari/Zhangmu) on the Friendship Hwy to Lhasa and Hilsa/Sera in far western Nepal north of Simikot. It is not possible to cross (legally) at either border crossing without the proper credentials and they are carefully patrolled.
I think the Post by John555 must be referring to a TIMS permit (not SIM card). These are required by every foreigner trekking in Nepal and the information on them is registered on the Trek Information Management System by the Trekking Agents Association of Nepal. Has anyone checked this database as the information should contain a description of the area where Paulius was planning to trek. Check Posts in those areas should also have a record of his progress on the planned route. If he kept to his plan, authorities should be able to check those trek registers to determine where he last registered to determine at what point he went missing.

When did you initiate your search with the authorities?
If you can provide more details, others trekking in Nepal on similar routes could make inquiries at villages and lodges along the way.

I would make an appointment with the Consul prior to your arrival in Kathmandu, and then meet with them as soon as practical after your arrival. As mentioned above, I would contact the family of Aubrey Sacco because they have recently gone through something similar. Ask the family what worked and what didn't work as they attempted to locate their daughter. If you can't find the email address of the Sacco family, send me a private message by clicking on my name to the left of this message. I corresponded with them last fall before and after my trek to Langtang. Finally, after talking with the Sacco family and considering all the suggestions, listed above, I would arrive at the Consulate with a list of questions.

The best to you and your family during this difficult time.

Stilltrekkin,

Thank you very much for explaining the situation on Nepal-Tibet border. It seems the border would be extremely hard to pass without relevant documents, so if my brother did attempt that, there should be a record. I have contacted the Lithuanian Embassy in China to see if they could check on this.

Pang seems to be a small village close to Pokhara where my brother had a wish to see a local wiseman to make his birth-scroll. We are not ruling out that he may be in the area in Pokhara too. Actually, when I am in Nepal, this will be one of the first few places I plan on checking. But the volunteering project staff said they have seen him back in the Helambu area after that, so this is the last place we know he went to.

Also thank you very so for telling me about the Trekking Agents Association of Nepal. I was trying to find this organisation myself and check if would be possible to learn the route that my brother was travelling from their data; and have made and inquiry to them and waiting for response. Thank you very much!

Tomtraveller,

Huge thanks for your support!

If you can then I would recommend you to post your message also in other forums like below. There are couple of travel forums except Lonely Planet to send you messages to more people. I have got 3 popular forums for your kind information:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g293889-i9243-Nepal.html
http://www.trekinfo.com
http://www.yentra.com/
Hope that helps you and wish you all the best!
Even if you want then you can write me private message. If you need any help then I will do my best for your kind help!

Sima

Was your brother carrying lots of money (or cash). If he was, and people saw this (say when he was paying for something), it might have made him the target for theft - obviously this is just speculation.

Have you checked with the airlines whether he has flown out of Nepal - I do not know how you do this, but people in your government should be able to advise you on this.

If, as I strongly advise, you go to Nepal and you, or someone, starts checking lists of visas, TIMS cards, trekking permits, records at entry points to trekking areas and other places where trekkers and tourists have to sign in, do check the names on all lists VERY CAREFULLY. Quite often Nepali officials get first names and family names (surnames) mixed up. This has happened many times when I have been trekking - so anyone looking for me would have to look under both names - many officials, especially in the areas outside Kathmandu, have little education and struggle with English (which uses completely different letters/characters from Nepali). It would help to get your brother's passport number - this is often put on trekking and other lists - generally this is recorded correctly.

Please also note that Nepali officials do not always want to correct a name if they have written it incorrectly, as they do not want to "lose face".

Obviously try and generate as much publicity as possible. Please note that people travel to Nepal from many countries, and they may then travel on to other countries before returning to their own country, so the more publicity you can get, the better. He may well have decided to spend time in a monastery.

During my various visits to Nepal, I have heard of one or two tourists planning to cross illegally into Tibet, however stupid that idea may seem. Even though the main routes are presumably very well policed by the Chinese government, there may well be other routes through remote valleys etc that locals know, so if your brother stayed in a village or monastery near the Tibet border, a local may have persuaded him to try to corss illegally, say for a brief visit. Again this is speculation, but you should make inquiries with the Chinese authorities.

Again I hope this turns out well.

Richard

Just want to bump this back to the head of the line. Maybe someone new or just coming on will catch it.

How can I help to make the topic sticky? What can I do?

Contact the moderators Upendra by private message (andreas_at_lp and frankie_flowers) or send an email to community@lonelyplanet.com.

They just might kisten if a lot of TTers ask (maybe they would be kind enough to delete these posts too).

scoodly

Guideupendra,

Thanks a lot, I posted information about my brother on the forums you gave. Hope it will get more attention.

Also if anyone else knows any other place to share this information and could post it there, I would be very grateful.

Thank you for all your support in these difficult moments.

Dear Richard (rdccomments)

I think my brother had about 400-500 pounds. Not sure if that‘s a lot. As we come from a country where crime and especially theft rate is quite high and we normally have an instinct to behave carefully with money (like not keeping it all together in one place, not paying surrounded by many people), I don‘t believe my brother would have been an easy target on that, unless all tourists/foreigners are targeted.

Really thank you for your point on checking the records carefully as they may be mixed up and your suggestion to get his passport number. It will be really helpful, once I go there.

As I haven’t been in Nepal myself before all advice on Nepalese culture or customs, that may make the search easier, or at least less troublesome, would be greatly appreciated too.

spanishdancer3, thanks a lot!

I just really want to thank everyone for your concern and your support! That really means a lot for me and my family. We all hope my brother will soon be back home all safe and sound.

Hi Sima. First of all I wish your brother be well and appears soon. You have got already very good advise above. The web is a very useful tool to involve a lot of people. Try to make a webpage or at least use a facebook account or something similar. The thing is to use something which can be accesed easily, even with a very slow internet connection like in remote places of Nepal or Tibet, and where you can post some pictures of your brother, updates amd contact information.You can ask travellers to print out a photo with the necesary information and contact details (like a poster on this webpage) and place it along the places in nepal where he might have been or is actually. You can also contact a lot of people, organizations etc. in Nepal itself by Email trying to get them involved. Nepal depends a lot on the travel industry and a traveller lost in Nepal is no good marketing for them. Travel agencies will get involved and will tell their stuff (guides and porters) to watch for him or any news.
Once you have the information from immigrations about your brother you will have a better idea where he might be actually, or at least a smaller area to look for but be aware that from my personal experience, and in the case of a country like Nepal, you cannot 100% rely on the information.There are still chances that the information is wrong or that your brother went to Tibet ilegally. Once in the southern parts of Argentina and Chile an irish went missing and the official information was that he crossed from Chile into Argentina so they were looking for about 7 days in the wrong place because actually the he never had left Chile.
You and your family will know your brother better than anyone else but sometimes persons take strange decisions. You have to be aware of this. He could have fall in love to somebody or be in a monastery and just forget to contact.
But obviously it is a long time and you should search for him with all the possible ways you can

Thanks scoodly. I wrote an email to moderators; actually two one for each!
And Sima, if you need any kind of help from my side, I would be glad to do that on your support. Just write me a message if you need any kind of support or work done from Nepal!

Arm chair replies.

Hello Sima

It is really bad news that your brother is missing in Nepal. You can try to collect the information from Langtang project. May be he told something to the personnel of Langtang project where is he desiring to go? Probably you can get more information from them. You can suggest them to publish the photos of your brother in the Langtang region and Helambu region in every villages.

Hi Sima

It is not a good news for us ,your brother is missing in Nepal's mountain side . You are coming to Nepal so i can help you to go to TAAN office or Nepal Tourism Board office in pokhara and try to find you brother . Pang village also not so much far from Pokhara . I can help you to go to there and try to collect some information about him.
If he was visited Annapurna area trekking we can find the details about him in TAAN or NTB office easily . They put all the records so hopefully your brother in this region.

Keep in passion and pray for god your brother will mail you .

Sima

Some further thoughts and comments.

Trekking permits and TIMS cards are required for all foreigners who go trekking in Nepal, and there are check points at various locations on each trek. If your brother passed through one of these points, he should have been required to show his permit and TIMS card and this should have been recorded. However sometimes these posts are not manned so people do not always get checked and recorded (for example I have signed in at Namche Bazaar in the Everest region 4 times, but signed out only 2 times - the post was closed the other 2 times). As mentioned in a previous post of mine above, names can be mis-recorded.

If your brother was not on the main trekking routes, he may well have passed through areas where there are no checks or records at all. When I was in Helambu in January 2011, even on the trekking route I don't remember any check posts from Tharepati to Melamchipal Bazaar (though I cannot be sure of this). There are also many local paths and routes in this area, so obviously the more precisely you can pin down your brother's last known position, the better.

If your brother did pass through areas that see few if any foreigners, the local people will have noticed him - especially the local children (I stayed in my guide's non tourist village in Rasuwa district for 4 nights this year and was the first westerner many of them had seen, so they were very curious, in a pleasant way, about this strange foreigner).

The equivalent of GBP £500-600 is not a lot for 2 plus months, however this will depend on how he lives - if he is staying in non tourist villages, it is far cheaper than staying on the trekking routes. Again if he is staying in a monastery this should be quite cheap. Some of the larger towns in the districts in Nepal have email, however outside the trekking areas very few places will have email, so again this may explain the lack of contact.

Regarding Nepali culture and customs: these are very different from the "west", and it would be advisable to either have a reliable Nepali with you or someone who is familiar with Nepal, and speaks the language (though many Nepalis have some English, there will be fewer English speakers in the non tourist areas). Please note that there is a cultural tendency to say what the speaker thinks the listener wants to hear (as is the case in many parts of Asia, this is NOT at all a criticism of Nepali culture). So you may need to probe gently depending on circumstances - please note that a confrontational or accusatory approach can be disastrous and very counter productive. Most Nepalis will be genuinely helpful, however it is a very poor country with people facing many daily difficulties, and so please do not expect the country "stop" just for your inquiries.

Officials may be more difficult. Tourism is an important part of the Nepali economy (but it is not the biggest part), and so generally they should be inclined to assist you. They will also see you and your brother as guests in their country. However corruption is rife at all levels of officialdom (and many officials are on very low pay), so do bear this in mind - again someone who is very familiar with the country will be able to advise and help you.

Richard

I doubt that he would make it into Tibet. The guards are fierce in that area for obvious reasons. In a quieter area a friend wandered in and was held for a couple of months before they decided he was a bit of a crack. With a stern warning..

Im sorry to hear about your missing brother. I hope and pray he is found safe, I see you are doing everything you can to cover all possibilities.

Hi – I am also sorry to read about your missing brother, If you drop me a pm, I will send you the email address of my friend Nirmal who has run his own agency in Nepal for over 20 years, he is known and respected by most of Kathmandu tourist industry and it would be worthwhile emailing him so that he can ask his contacts if your brother has had any dealings with them, he might have bought a bus or flight ticket, hired a guide or arranged a national park entrance fee or TIMS through a local agent – All these options would be worthwhile pursuing.
Also if you get some “Missing” posters with your brother’s photo on them printed then these can be distributed through the local agents to trekkers heading off on trek and posted, again this might just help
Good Luck and Very Best Wishes
Rob

nahuel,guideupendra,dhan01 , pristinetrekking, rdccomments, edwardseco, avsfan, into-thin-air and everyone thank you for your offered help, provided great advice and shown empathy!

We have now a website made by Kamal - a guide in Nepal, on which we will try to give updates: http://www.pauliuszavadckismissinginnepal.webs.com/

I have also made a few posters: http://s1119.photobucket.com/albums/k631/zalia_smilga/?action=view&current=Paulyciui2a.jpg
So if you are in Nepal and in the areas where my brother went to, maybe you could put a few posters on.

Many thanks,
Sima

Edited by: zalia_smilga

Edited by: zalia_smilga

cannot offer any useful advice, but my hopes are with you

Its in these first several months that all the hope lies. We all share this sadness..

LOL..

#33. Might get shot, but otherwise they put you straight back on the border.

I too can't offer any help but I wish he appears soon, safe and sound.
Cheers.

Hi I just came back from Lang-tang and I did not hear anything like this.I will send the message in the Check post.
I will also ask the police check post for your person if he had left lang-tang in Shyabru besi and in Dhunche check post.

Hi, Ama Yangri peak is the start point for the Ganja La pass which leads into the Langtang valley. From there it is possible to cross into Tibet, relatively easily due to its close proximity. I will ask my friends who are guides to look out for him, but Monsoon is about to start and trekking in Nepal will more or less finish until October. It is however, the season for Tibet. Let's hope he gets in contact soon. Best wishes and good luck, Barry

Thank you everyone for your presence and your attention to my brother's story.

A small update. We are currently trying to get Red Cross involved in the search (the deputy head of the Nepal ICRC has approached me himself, so fingers crossed.) It would be really great to have their help. Lithuanian embassy in China was not able to check the border information, whether my brother had tried to cross to Tibet, so it is still an open possibility. And embassy in India was very determined to help, but we are still waiting news from them. So currently there is no new information about the location of my brother, but we don't give up.

Sima

Thanks for the update Sima, good luck.

scoodly

Hi Sima
Last week (post 28) I suggested that you emailed my preferred agent and friend, Nirmal Nakarmi in Kathmandu and ask him if there was anything he could do to assist by asking his contacts in the travel industry if they had had any dealings with your brother – I also wrote to him and have just received this email reply from him

“Regarding missing Paulius Zavadckis 19 years from Lithuania I have called Honorary Consul of Lithuania in kathmandu and talked with Mr.Rameshwor Shapkota Ph.No
977-1-4701135.According to him on March 05 at Kailash Guest House ( Bauddha) was check in and after an hour he was checked out then after no news.Mr.Shapkota is checking in Immigration office is Paulius extended his visa or he is out from Nepal.I suggest him to give notice to the Police.If I get any news certainly I shall let you know”

By now this is probably old news to you but as Nirmal had gone to the trouble of making the enquiry, I thought I had betetr post his reply.

I Hope that you get some good news soon
Best Regards
Rob

Hi Rob,

I have received Nirmal's email too, thanks a lot!

Sima

Any progress Sima?

Sima- Our family has been in contact with each other but I wanted to post information about Missing Aubrey Sacco as well to stress that both of our cases need attention and help. My thoughts are with you and I hope we can bring both our siblings home safely!

Please take the time to read:

I am the brother of the missing American Aubrey Sacco. She disappeared in the Langtang Region of Nepal while trekking in late April 2010. Please be advised this has become a very dangerous place to travel alone. Just in the last week: 1 Japanese woman went missing, 1 Lithuanian Male teenager has gone missing and 1 American Man was held up and robbed. (Please see articles below)

I do not want to scare anyone but it is important everyone realizes that trekking and traveling alone in this area is dangerous. I want people to be aware so they can make the proper travel adjustments; whether it be hiring a guide or not going at all.

Also, if anyone is interested in helping me and my family please email me directly at: [jmorgansacco@gmail.com|jmorgansacco@gmail.com]
We need to make sure we are doing everything we can. We need help to make sure missing Aubrey Sacco posters are still everywhere in Nepal. Also, if anyone can further assist in the search or has any helpful information please email me directly at: [jmorgansacco@gmail.com|jmorgansacco@gmail.com]

Please keep comments positive because this is extremely tragic for my family. To learn more please vist [aubreysacco.com|aubreysacco.com]

Sincerely a distraught brother,
Morgan Sacco

Articles in the last week regarding missing persons:

American Man Held Captive and Robbed

Missing Japanese Woman

"I do not want to scare anyone but it is important everyone realizes that trekking and traveling alone in this area is dangerous"

As dangerous as at most other places on earth including your homecountry. We have already discussed the same issue on the Aubrey thread. You can certainly help a lot in this case from your experience but if you keep on blaming all Nepal for the loss of your beloved ones, instead of helping Sima, you will do the contrary!

No one blames Nepal. We just want answers and make sure people are traveling safe. Put yourself in our shoes and keep comments positive. We have given Sima as much advice as we can and we have to keep both stories alive.

jmorgansacco, you are so kind to give Sima advice.

With this new 20$ SIM why would why would anyone get lost. Before they didn't.

Hi Sima, I have post in to the blog.
http://nepalnewsdotcom.blogspot.com/2011/06/missing-person-in-nepal.html

"I do not want to scare anyone but it is important everyone realizes that trekking and traveling alone in this area is dangerous"

I think its very prudent to warn trekkers and tourists that trekking in Nepal alone is dangerous. The fact is that many people think these things dont happen in Nepal, but they do. Also, the more publicity about these the better chance that the authorities will investigate and actively dissuade crimes against foreigners. Once tourists start staying away from Nepal there is little future for the country. Precious little works in Nepal, The country is full of corruption. In a county where they care so little about their own people maybe more attention to crimes against tourists will lead to something positive for Nepal.

avsfan+, thank you for the incredible insight of your post. If this thread does anything, I hope it will (1) help Sima find her brother (2) encourage people that they should not trek alone and (3) build publicity so that "+the authorities will investigate and actively dissuade crimes against foreigners+" (as eloquently described by +avsfan above). I am not suggesting that Paulius was the victim of a crime, but there have been other foreigners, hiking or trekking alone, that have.

Thats right Tom, this thread was started by people who have missing loved ones in Nepal and are trying to do whatever they can to find them, mostly through their own efforts. I think they have some very wise words of advice which they took the time to communicate to others

Hi

Sima's post became popular and many friends gave her good suggestions too. This post gives many positive and some negative news who are traveling in Nepal. Use this post for security reason , better to travel either with group or with guided tour. Normally Nepal is safe country to travel but there are a lot of places where Nepali also became confusion and lost their ways but tourist are differ than others . I suggest all the guests who are travelling in Nepal better to make either in group or be with at least one Nepali people when you trek and travel in hilly side .

Hi Sima,

for people who have never been to Nepal it may sound spooky that someone is trekking all alone in the himalayas.
In reality, even if you start hiking alone you are lucky if you don´t meet another person for 15 minutes on the popular routes.
Nepal is a big wilderness but the vast majority does one of half a dozen routes and for loads of people there is zero problem doing those alone. Of course it is a different story if you venture off the beaten track, decide to go there in the middle of winter or are unfit or whatever else. I also want to add that Nepal is a pleasant country to travel, unlike India people leave you alone and are not constantly on your back demanding something. Tourists generally feel safe and welcome and I heard not even one story of theft during 6 weeks there, even though I am sure things happen.

Maybe this gives you a clearer picture of what Nepal feels like to a tourist.
I hope there is a happy-end for you.

Very happy to read in todays paper that missing Japanese trekker Makiko Iwafuchi who got lost near Gosaikund pass has turned up alive!

Good news indeed. What happened to him?

Hi nahuel

It was a woman who left her lodge at Gosainkund to photograph the area and got lost. An army search was organised a search but she was found by some local women after 12 days.

scoodly

Is there any newspaper link to that story? Sounds amazing that you can get lost for 12 days at Gosainkund where there is no vegetation and you can see for miles. Must have been in bad weather maybe. A long time to be out in the wild even though there is water.

Very interesting article. She's very lucky. I could see how someone could get lost if they weren't paying attention or if the area was socked in with clouds.

Hi bavarese

Here's one from the Himalayan Times - the first report is probably still n the site, try a search.

scoodly

Agree Tom, perhaps it's a salutary tale about the use of a guide, or trekking alone, and uderestimating the difficulties of route finding, though thankfully a rare event.

scoodly

Just take the 20$ SIMM permit which is the law anyway.

I assume she did John but in this case it was the lodge owners who raised the alarm when she did not return and her belongings were still in the room.

scoodly

Thanks for the link scoodly.
Surviving 12 days is tough when all your gear is at the lodge.
What are the night temperatures at Gosainkund in June - it´s 4400m high!

I have been in August not June but think the temperatures would be broadly similar. I didn't measure the temp but would not want to take my chances in the open for 12 nights.

scoodly

Hi scoodly, thanks a lot. Tough experience. She was really lucky

Hi Sima,

Was wondering if he was found......?

Hi sima

This is also missing person news published in _http://www.ekantipur.com/2011/06/10_</strong> related news for you . Better to come in Nepal and try to search yourselves . Keep in passion read all details which is published in News paper.

KATHMANDU, JUN 10 - A Japanese woman who was lost in Nepal's mountains for nearly two weeks said Friday that she survived by eating grass, drinking river water, taking shelter in small caves and praying.

Makiko Iwafuchi, 49, of Chiba, said she left her hotel May 25 for a short stroll near the Goshainkunda lake. She left the main trail and could not find it again.

She said she walked for days but was unable to find the trail or come in contact with any villagers until Tuesday, when she heard voices.

Nepal is not easy place to travel so always be care yourselves .
Have a nice travel
"I screamed, saying, 'Hello! Please help me!'" she told reporters after returning to Katmandu on Friday. "It was a miracle. I felt at ease and thanked God."

Aside from some visible insect bites, she appeared to be fine three days after her ordeal about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Katmandu, at an elevation of more than 14,000 feet (4,300 meters).

Iwafuchi said that when she got lost roughly 1,600 feet (500 meters) from the trail, she waited for help in the area for two days. When no one came, she decided to search for a way back.

The local police and soldiers had begun a search a day after she went missing, but they found no trace of her.

She said she walked from dawn to dusk for days, eating grass and bamboo and drinking river water. She took shelter in small caves on the mountain and under rocks, covering herself with leaves.

"The weather was not cold. It only drizzled a few days," she said, though she added that one night she did get soaked when she had only a tree to protect her from the rain.

"I knew there were not dangerous animals in the area, so I was safe," Iwafuchi said.

"I prayed if I survive I will change. I will be kind to people and more generous. There was a couple of times that I feared I will not survive, but I still believed that God will give me a second chance," she said.

After Iwafuchi was found, she was carried to the local hospital. She said doctors treated her blistered toes but found her to be in good health otherwise.

Iwafuchi plans to continue trekking, but not by herself.

Separately, not far from where Iwafuchi got lost, rescuers in Nepal removed the body of a Japanese woman who died in an avalanche while trying to scale the 19,172-foot-high (5,844-meter-high) Naya Kanga peak in Rashuwa district.

The body of 63-year-old Masue Yoshida was flown by helicopter to Katmandu on Friday and taken to a hospital, where relatives and representatives from the Japanese Embassy received the body.

The avalanche struck Yoshida and her Nepali trekking guide Saturday, killing them both. Rescuers have not yet found the body of the guide.

Post 67 is interesting in that it gives some info about the circumstances of the woman's disappearance. I have always thought that it would be pretty difficult to get lost on a standard trekking route, unless someone was in very bad weather (ie limited visibility). Having trekked through there in Jan 2011, and walked round the lake and up a hill overlooking the lake, I am still a bit surprised by this. Sounds like she was very lucky to eventually be found. Will be interesting to get more details.

At least a couple of times they have discovered the body of such unfortunate trekkers 2 years later..

hi i saw one message where someone said it is better to come in nepal and proceed the search. i think you can also see his entry record in langtang and helambu area and also go through the names or other people who were trekking same time....email them and inform them cos all of them might not be in lonely planet.when you do this i think your brother must have talked to some one about his plans and ideas of visiting different places.i hope you understand what i am saying...this will help you know other things about your brother and where he could have moved next place since the day of his disappearance.....

Just wondering if there have been any recent developments in your search for Paulius ??
Please keep us all up-to-date as we are both concerned and interested in hearing the (Hopefully Successful) outcome.
Fingers Crossed
Thanks
Rob

Hi sima

Please write something about your missing brother we are curious about it . Everyday we want to read some news update from you but you are missing from us . Please write about the progress to search you brother . We are always ready to help you .

Keep on writing

Excellent read, I just passed this onto a colleague who was doing a little research on that. And he actually bought me lunch because I found it for him smile So let me rephrase that.

Thank you very much to explain the situation in Nepal-Tibet border. It seems that the border would be very difficult to do without the relevant documents, so if my brother tried that there must be a record. I have contacted the Embassy of Lithuania in China to see if they could verify this.

Many Useful things regarding the search process have been already come in this forum but still you have to contact Trekking agency association Nepal ( TAAN) , Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) & Ministery of tourism for the more search in advance level. make the posters and put them in each corner of Thamel .

we will pray for his safe return in this hour .

The only way to get a better overview of the situation is to go there by yourself.
of course people get lost on the most simple routes, happens as well in my country, but here is mobile phone reception.... now the situation will have changed anyway, due to monsoon season.
landslides are common and a dutch trekker along with his guide was killed by a landslide not long ago. as i said, go there, you arte the ones who know your brother best, maybe follow his route, thats the only thing that might shed light to the situation, unless somebody finds remains or finds a backpack and reports the finding to a police station........ good luck hope you get to know what happened!!!

Hi sima

we, all are wondering what is happening to searching progress ahead ? we want to know you came to Nepal for search him or not ? Have you been in Pang village ? Please write the reviews about progress .
Keep in passion

Probably time this “Sticky” is removed judging my the latest comments posted on what is, after all a serious subject and one that is probably still causing grief for the nearest and dearest of the missing person.
Best Regards
Rob

Rob - re your item no 83 - I agree that it is a pity that 2 people choose to make such comments on a matter like this. Their comments are not even original or amusing.

It would be helpful, and help keep the story running, if there were some updates from the family - there has been no real news about their searches for several months now.

Edited by: rdccomments

Perhaps these latest posts will prompt an update but if not, maybe the thread has run its course as a sticky. Google does not give any positive news, let's hope no news is good news.

Perhaps pristinetrekking should consider the impact of his comments on his trekking business; I for one would not want to use a company who can find amusement in a missing trekker.

scoodly

Usually the mod drops these stickies after a discrete interval of a few months as there really isn't going to be anything more to add but sorrow and chatter (which is often a normal psychological defense against the realization of the former)..

I see that the "unhelpful" comments have been removed - good riddance.

One other point - the missing person in this case appears not to have been trekking - he was working briefly on an aid project, then apparently went to a monastery to learn more about Buddhism.

Yes, their removal is positive and the moderators have kept the thread as a sticky too.

For Paulius to get to Yangrima in Helambu he would have trekked to get there and be in possession of a TIMS card - unless he had a non-tourist visa which seems unlikely given the ordinary nature of his travels.

Hopefully Sima has some positive news.

scoodly

Scoodly - noted re Helambu.

Agree - hopefully his brother or sister, or someone, will provide an update.

Yes. some news or at least an update that there no news at all

Hi everyone,

Found this thread couple of days ago, and as Im travelling to India and Nepal, I thought to print the picture of Paulius just in case, one never know.

I sent an email to the contact e-mail that is stated in the post and this is what Simona answered:

"Hi Agueda,

Thanks a lot for your email. No happy news for the moment. My brother may be enjoying himself, as you say, but we simply don't that, don't know anything. So yes of course print his picture if you can, thanks really. I hope you will have a great and safe trip!

Best wishes,
Sima"

I suggested her to write a wee update, as you were asking and to keep this alive.

Cheers,
Agueda

Agueda - thanks for the update.

Hi Sima

Have you heard the story about "Forest boy Ray"??? Its been on the news for a couple of weeks now. Could that be your brother??? http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/sep/16/german-police-english-speaking-boy?INTCMP=SRCH
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2041283/Secrets-forest-boy-hiding-What-truth-English-teenager-claims-hes-living-wild-years.html
I know that it does not fit with the colour of his hair and his age, but in other media thay say he has got dark hair.

hi sima
any news?
i've read the thread and please don't give up on hope
remember that people have appeared after 2 years missing
so please keep on going with the search
and let everybody know
that's what i've done on my blog :

good luck!

Name one..

Have you found your brother who lose in Nepal?

This is an interesting thread and its a shame that young people put themselves in peril like this.

I read earlier in the thread that the boy checked into a guest house then a short time later checked out, doesnt this seem strange to anyone - who did he meet in the guest house? Obviously someone provided information that sent the lad off somewhere else has anybody bothered to contact this guest house to find out who was staying there that day and if not a guest who else works at this place or hangs out there.

To me this is the place to start who did he meet there and what did that person offer and or tell him that resulted in such a quick departure?

I also hope he is found there are few things worse in this world than the scum who pray on nieve travellers.

Aparentely no one had seen Paulius in nepal, at least i haven seen any post on a forum about him. So the chance that someone suddently remember him now is rather low..
Sima has posted her last message in Mai 27, thus 5 months ago and seems have lost interest in the search and aswering questions by other trekkers.
I dont know the reason but i think this thread should not be anymore sticky