Sunnyvale Man On Dream Trip Killed In Avalanche Triggered By Nepal Earthquake
SUNNYVALE (CBS SF) -- The State Department has confirmed a Sunnyvale man was killed in Nepal.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Vinh Troung was among four Americans who was killed at a Mt. Everest base camp during the avalanche. Friends describe him as an avid outdoorsman who was on his dream trip.
Google executive Dan Fredinburg also died while ascending Mt. Everest when the massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal on Saturday. At least 20 others were killed on the mountain.
Stories of survival from Bay Area residents who were there are also starting to emerge.
CLICK RELATED: How To Help Victims Of Nepal Earthquake
Dave Gordon of San Francisco was in the Langtang area and was flown out by helicopter. He said he saw four to five porters buried under rocks, where they died.
The popular hiking trails are gone, stranding many hikers on the mountainside.
"The trails are destroyed," Gordon said. "A lot of the trails are destroyed, people are stuck, they can't get out. It is very bad."
CAUGHT ON TAPE:
Youtube video (warning: expletives, NSFW) captures an avalanche hitting base camp
Helicopters continue to bring people out, including tourists and locals. With the death toll nearly 4,500, the fear is that many more people need help.
A group of foreigners in Nepal, including Nikki Sequiera from San Francisco, are banding together to raise aid for earthquake victims living in remote areas.
On the fundraising page, the group writes:
We are backpackers, journalists, and photographers. We are soul searchers, adventurers, and culture bridgers. But today we are storytellers.
Each of us has been welcomed into Nepalese homes where we shared meals, laughs and cries. We have trekked to base camps on the worlds highest mountains, been lost in the streets of Kathmandu, and been humbled by the welcoming culture that defines Nepal.
We've walked the grounds now scattered with heaps of rubble, and shaken hands with climbers who have recently perished on Everest. We've heard the cries of mothers searching for lost children, and watched as cremation ceremonies line rivers of once thriving towns.
Our mission is simple: to return the love shown to us by the people of Nepal.
Donations to the campaign will be used to purchase medical supplies, food, blankets, clothing and shelter.
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