Georgia mom missing after Nepal-China floods had just completed a long-awaited spiritual pilgrimage.
A Georgia family is holding onto hope after Mary Sorensen, a 60-year-old mother from Canton, went missing following catastrophic floods along the Nepal-China border.
Sorensen had traveled to the region for a spiritual pilgrimage to Mount Kailash, a sacred Himalayan site in Tibet, according to Good Morning America.
Final Message To Family
Sorensen’s son, Riley Wildeman, said his mother had completed the pilgrimage and was beginning the trip home when the family last heard from her.
Wildeman told ABC News that Sorensen’s final text came Tuesday morning as she was coming down the mountain.
He said she ended the message by telling her family, “I’m so grateful that you guys are my family.”
The floods struck the border region the next morning, Wednesday, August 26, 2026.
Family Still Holding Hope
Wildeman described his mother as adventurous, spiritual and deeply optimistic.
He told FOX 5 Atlanta that Sorensen was excited about the trip and that the family is trying to keep faith as the search continues.
FOX 5 reported that Sorensen was last seen around 9 a.m. on August 26 at the Gyirong Immigration Facility in Tibet.
Her family said the U.S. State Department and her tour group have stayed in contact with them as officials search the disaster zone.
Flood Disaster Toll Keeps Rising
The floods have killed more than 1,000 people in Nepal and China, according to The Associated Press.
AP reported Tuesday that Nepal had counted 987 deaths and 3,916 people missing, including 583 foreigners. Chinese authorities reported 16 deaths in their most recent update.
Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Monday that the government’s priority was to save lives, locate missing people and support both Nepali and foreign nationals affected by the disaster.
In its August 31 briefing, the ministry said more than 10,000 people had been rescued and hundreds of foreign nationals remained missing.
Americans Among The Missing
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said Sunday that about 85 Americans remained unaccounted for after the floods.
Pigott told ABC News that nine Americans had been safely evacuated and that U.S. officials were not aware of any U.S. citizen deaths at that time.
He said U.S. embassies in Kathmandu and Beijing were working around the clock with local officials to get reliable information.
What Caused The Flooding
The U.S. Geological Survey said the August 26 disaster was likely triggered by rapid slope failure involving a glacier in Langtang National Park near the China border.
The USGS event summary said the debris flow and flooding traveled nearly 100 kilometers, or about 62 miles, along river valleys and affected the Rasuwagadhi border post.
AP reported that rescuers have been working through remote terrain, damaged roads and mud-filled areas as families wait for news.
A Pilgrimage Turned Into A Search
Mount Kailash draws pilgrims from several faith traditions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and the Tibetan Bon tradition.
Many of the missing foreigners were in the region for spiritual journeys when the floods hit.
For Sorensen’s family in Georgia, the search is personal and painful.
They say they are grieving the uncertainty, not giving up hope, and waiting for the call that tells them Mary Sorensen has been found.