Singapore family, stranded and separated in Nepal amid deadly protest, return safely

On Sept 17, in a hospital in Nepal's capital of Kathmandu, Singaporean IT professional Anna Yeow, 52, finally embraced her husband after a week of dread and sleepless nights.

Mr Sam Roberts, 54, had just been airlifted out of the Himalayan mountain range - his left leg injured and their younger son by his side.

"As soon as I saw him, I just hugged him and cried," recalls Ms Yeow to The Straits Times over the telephone on Sept 23. It was a reunion neither had been sure would happen.

Days earlier, protests had swept across Nepal, trapping the Singaporean family of four in different corners of the country.

The quartet had set off from Singapore on Sept 4 for a two-week adventure. Mr Roberts, a Bangalore-born registered clinical counsellor, wanted their two sons, aged 15 and 17, to experience the challenge of the Annapurna trek.

It was also a fund-raising hike to raise awareness for mental health and suicide prevention.

Ms Yeow could not join the trek due to an old injury, so she planned to spend her time sightseeing in the city of Pokhara with a close friend who had joined her from Malaysia.

The trip was meant to end on a high note: the wedding of Mr Roberts' nephew in Mumbai, India, followed by a short holiday in Goa. But within days of their arrival, the family's well-laid plans were disrupted.

Streets of chaos

On Sept 8, thousands of young protesters took to the streets in one of Nepal's deadliest waves of unrest in decades. A day later, Ms Yeow was sitting in a cafe in Pokhara when the atmosphere shifted.

"There were dogs in the cafe relaxing next us. But suddenly, they ran out and started barking," she says. "They heard it coming before we saw it."

Soon, a crowd of more than 100 protesters marched down the street, chanting and hollering. The cafe staff lowered its shutters. When the chaos subsided, Ms Yeow and her friend made their way back to their hotel, only to watch the violence escalate from their balcony.

That evening, a resounding boom shook the building across the street. "That's when it really hit me," she says. "The hotel is not safe. We are not safe."

She and her friend packed essentials - passports, wallets and mobile phones - and waited in the dark with lights off, ready to flee.

By Sept 10, the army had imposed a nationwide curfew. Ms Yeow remained trapped in her hotel for five more days, uncertain when she would be able to leave.

Stranded on the mountain

What made matters more complicated was that 4,130m above sea level at Annapurna Base Camp, Mr Roberts and his sons had intermittent connectivity and were unable to stay updated with Ms Yeow's situation.

The group of eight had planned to take a helicopter to Pokhara, but were hindered by bad weather. Additionally, the helicopter company had halted flights in show of support for protestors, Mr Roberts tells ST.

In the hope of descending into clearer weather conditions, they walked part of the way down the mountain in heavy downpour. But shortly before they arrived at a small lodge to rest, Mr Roberts slipped and injured his left leg, leaving him unable to walk unsupported.

He and his younger son David stayed in the lodge while his older son Caleb and the rest of the group made the difficult decision to descend without them.

By that point, Ms Yeow and Mr Roberts had already reached out to Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and the Singapore High Commission in New Delhi for help to leave Nepal.

Obstacles abound

However, difficulties persisted. Low-lying clouds and heavy rain rendered it near-impossible for the helicopter to reach father and son safely.

Ms Yeow struggled to stay hopeful. "I was breaking down and had to try very hard to stay positive," she says.

Finally, on Sept 17, a break in the weather allowed a helicopter to set out for Mr Roberts' location. At 4.05pm, both were lifted out of the mountains and flown to Kathmandu, where they eventually reunited with Ms Yeow and Caleb.

"One of the pilots told me that in 11 years, he had never left anyone stranded for more than 24 hours," says Mr Roberts. "I was just so relieved."

Mr Roberts was discharged from the hospital on Sept 19. But with no direct flights available to Singapore, the family decided to fly to Bangalore, India, to visit family.

They missed the Mumbai reception and wedding, but surprised everyone by turning up at a separate reception held in Bangalore. On Sept 20, they boarded an overnight flight home, finally arriving in Singapore on Sept 21.

Reflecting on the ordeal, Ms Yeow says: "There's a lot to take away from this experience. It showed me how used we are to controlling our busy lives. But in this case, we had no choice. We had to let go and be patient."