Himal Press 
POKHARA: Three young men, who had gone out of contact on the Mardi Himal trail in Kaski for the past three days, have been found safe.
According to the District Police Office, Kaski, the three were located across the Modi Khola river at Pindh near Chhomrong in Ward 11 of Annapurna Rural Municipality.
The missing trekkers have been identified as Ajit GC (24), and Yukesh Gurung (23) and Dipesh Gurung (23).
Police say the three lost their way during the trek and ended up on the riverbank between cliffs and dense forest along the Modi Khola.
However, immediate rescue has not been possible due to the high water flow in the river. Efforts to construct a temporary bridge by felling trees with the help of an excavator have also failed, police say.
According to locals, rescue from the opposite side, the Mardi area, could take longer due to extremely steep and difficult terrain.
A large number of security personnel have been deployed since early Thursday morning to bring them to safety.
The three had set out for the Mardi Himal trek on August 4 and became stranded in the forest of Badaldanda in Machhapuchchhre Rural Municipality-9. They were last in contact until 8 am the following day.
After receiving information about their disappearance, a four-member search team led by hotel operator Prem Adhikari was mobilized in Badaldanda.
On Wednesday at around 5:45 pm, locals spotted the youths across the Modi Khola. Police teams from Ghandruk and Bagar as well as a 10-member team from the Armed Police Force’s Kalika Battalion reached the site immediately.
Police say although they tried to rescue the youths till late Wednesday night, they were not successful due to the strong river current.
Meanwhile, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Ganesh Poudel, who hails from Kaski, said a helicopter may also be deployed for the rescue depending on weather and terrain conditions.
