Three Weeks After Broad Peak Tragedy, Sarah Mallory Geis Is Finally Found, But One Climber Still Remains

KATHMANDU, AUGUST 21, 2026 

The body of 39-year-old American climber Sarah Mallory Geis has been found by local volunteer rescuers on the slopes of Broad Peak in Pakistan, three weeks after a massive avalanche on July 30 killed all 10 climbers caught in its path. The Alpine Club of Pakistan confirmed the recovery on Friday, with rescuers bringing Geis' remains down toward Broad Peak Base Camp before arrangements are made to return them to her family. The difficult recovery provides a measure of closure after weeks of dangerous search efforts, but the operation is not entirely over: the body of 29-year-old Nepali climber Nawang Thendu Sherpa remains on the mountain in a hazardous location above 6,000 metres.

Sarah Mallory Geis Finally Found

The Alpine Club of Pakistan confirmed on Friday that local volunteer rescuers had located Geis' body on Broad Peak.

Geis had remained among the last victims yet to be fully recovered following the July 30 disaster. According to the latest update, rescuers are bringing her body to Broad Peak Base Camp, from where arrangements can be made for her remains to eventually be returned to her family.

Why Earlier Reports Said Sarah Had Already Been Recovered

The latest development also clears up some confusion surrounding Geis' status.

In the immediate aftermath of the avalanche, authorities reported that remains belonging to Geis had been identified, leading several international outlets to report that her body had been recovered.

However, subsequent recovery reports continued to list Geis among those whose bodies remained on Broad Peak. The latest confirmation from the Alpine Club of Pakistan says her body has now been found by local volunteer rescuers after around three weeks on the mountain.

What Happened On July 30

The tragedy unfolded on the morning of July 30, when a massive avalanche swept across Broad Peak as climbers from several expeditions were moving between Camp 2 and Camp 3.

The avalanche struck at around 6,600 metres, throwing climbers hundreds of metres down the mountain and into difficult off-route terrain.

All 10 climbers caught in the avalanche were killed, turning the incident into one of the deadliest mountaineering disasters of the 2026 climbing season.

Ten Climbers Lost Their Lives

The victims came from several countries and included some of the world's most experienced high-altitude mountaineers.

Among those killed was renowned Nepal-born British mountaineer Nirmal Purja, popularly known as Nimsdai, alongside Nepali climbers Pur Bahadur Gurung, Kili Pemba Sherpa, Nima Sherpa, Gyaljen Sherpa and Nawang Thendu Sherpa.

American climber Sarah Mallory Geis, Omani climber Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy, Pakistani climber Sohail Sakhi and Chinese climber Wang Zhong were also among those who lost their lives.

Rescuers Risked Their Lives To Bring Climbers Home

The recovery operation has been extraordinarily dangerous.

Nepali and Pakistani rescuers worked on steep, avalanche-prone slopes to locate and retrieve the victims. Renowned Nepali climber Mingma Gyalje Sherpa, known as Mingma G, led the initial recovery effort, while drones were also used to locate bodies scattered across the mountain.

At one point, rescuers had moved four bodies from around 5,700 metres to a lower location when another avalanche swept the bodies away. The rescue team narrowly escaped and later returned to search through the avalanche debris and recover them again.

Sohail Sakhi Was Found Earlier

Pakistani climber Sohail Sakhi was another of the final victims who remained missing following the initial operation.

His body was later discovered by local volunteers from the village of Tissar who were searching near Advanced Base Camp. They reportedly noticed a boot protruding from the snow and discovered Sakhi's body underneath.

The volunteers, with help from others in the area, brought his remains down to Base Camp before they were airlifted to Skardu.

Nawang Thendu Sherpa Still Remains

With Geis now recovered, Nawang Thendu Sherpa is the only victim of the July 30 avalanche whose body remains on Broad Peak.

Nawang's body is reportedly in an extremely difficult position above 6,000 metres.

Dawa Sherpa, popularly known as Speed Dawa, has said rescuers attempted to retrieve him but were unable to bring his body down because of the difficult location and insufficient rope to safely reach and move him.

Who Was Nawang Thendu Sherpa?

Nawang was a 29-year-old Nepali high-altitude guide from Talkharka in Makalu Rural Municipality–1, Sankhuwasabha.

He came from a family deeply connected to mountaineering. His father and three brothers are experienced climbers, and Nawang himself had already built an impressive climbing career despite his young age.

He had successfully climbed several major mountains, including Everest, Lhotse, Manaslu, Kanchenjunga and Makalu, and worked as a high-altitude guide with Seven Summit Treks.

Nawang had also previously participated in dangerous mountain recovery operations to help bring other climbers home.

Danger Continues To Complicate Recovery

Broad Peak's conditions have made every recovery attempt dangerous. Steep terrain, unstable snow and the continuing possibility of avalanches have repeatedly placed rescuers themselves at risk.

Earlier search efforts were temporarily suspended because conditions had become too dangerous, with teams waiting for safer opportunities to return to the mountain.

Recovering Nawang therefore remains not simply a matter of locating him, but of determining whether rescuers can reach and move his body without putting additional lives in unacceptable danger.

One Family Gets Closure, Another Still Waits

For Sarah Mallory Geis' family, the recovery brings an end to nearly three weeks of waiting for her remains to be brought down from Broad Peak.

For Nawang's family, however, that wait continues.

The young Nepali climber spent part of his career helping others on some of the world's most dangerous mountains. Now, fellow climbers and rescuers face the difficult task of trying to bring him home from the mountain where he lost his life.

May Sarah Mallory Geis rest in peace. Heartfelt condolences to her family, friends and loved ones. And may Nawang Thendu Sherpa also be brought home to his family safely and with dignity when mountain conditions allow.