Deep knowledge of forest paths helps five tribal youths locate stranded IT professional

Madikeri: Thirty-six-year-old IT professional Sharanya from Eyyankode in Nadapuram, Kozhikode district of Kerala, who had gone missing in the Thadiyandamol Hill ranges of Kodagu, was found safe last evening  after an intensive multi-agency search operation.

A team of five youths from the local Kudiya and Adiya tribal communities, Aiyappa, Subramanya, Manikanta, Raju and Mani, located Sharanya, ending four days of anxious search efforts.

Sharanya had gone missing on Apr. 2 while participating in a trek to Thadiyandamol Peak, the third-highest peak in Karnataka at 1,748 metres.

She was found about 3.5 km from the Thadiyandamol trekking base near Pandanamale Hill, in the dense Malethirike forest, nearly 4 km from the Seebethittu Forest Check Post.

Taking a different search path

Recounting the rescue, Aiyappa told reporters that while several teams had been searching along the trekking route for the past three days, their group decided to explore the rocky slopes off the main trail.

“Yesterday morning, after offering prayers to our deity, we entered the forest through a steep path we know well. We use the route once a year when we go into the forest to collect honey,” he said.

“At one point, we stopped near a stream to drink water and began calling out ‘Sharanya… Sharanya.’ We shouted repeatedly and at first heard only echoes in the dense forest. When we called out again, we faintly heard a woman’s voice responding from far away,” he recalled. The team then rushed towards the direction of the voice.

“In about 20 minutes, we reached Pandanamale, around 7 km from Thadiyandamol. There, near two small streams and a large tree, we saw Sharanya standing on a rock, exhausted, dishevelled, but alive,” he said.

According to Aiyappa, Sharanya broke down in tears when she saw them. The youth reassured her and guided her down the slope to the base camp.

“She was weak and walked slowly with the help of a stick, but we supported her and brought her out safely,” he added.

Without food for 4 days

Sharanya, daughter of K. Gopi and Shailaja, had survived for four days in the forest without food and was physically exhausted when rescued.

She was admitted to the Government Hospital in Virajpet, where doctors provided immediate treatment. Sharanya was discharged around 9.30 pm and later left for Kerala with her father Gopi and her brother Shyam.

Virajpet MLA A.S. Ponnanna visited the site after hearing of the rescue, encouraged Sharanya and thanked the tribal youth, Forest Department staff, Police personnel and Anti-Naxal Force members who took part in the operation. Sharanya’s family also expressed gratitude to the rescue teams.

Fourth such incident

The incident marks the fourth case of trekkers facing serious trouble in the Thadiyandamol Hill ranges. Although the trekking trail is not considered very difficult, trekkers have occasionally lost their way or faced emergencies in the surrounding forest.

In one earlier incident, a couple from Bengaluru became stranded in the dense forest and were rescued the next day by villagers. In another case, a Bengaluru youth who lost his way during a trek was also brought back safely by locals. More recently, a trekker suffered a fatal heart attack while climbing the hill. Villagers, along with Napoklu Police, carried the body down from the slopes.