A 36-year-old technology professional from Kerala, G S Sharanya, was successfully rescued on Sunday, three days after she disappeared while hiking to Tadiandamol Peak in Kodagu district, Karnataka.
The Karnataka Minister for Forest, Ecology, and Environment, Eshwar Khandre, informed the media that Sharanya was found safe and in good health. “I spoke with her, and she is doing well without any health issues,” he stated.
The minister’s office also released a photograph showing Sharanya surrounded by four members of the rescue team. She was located in an abandoned temple within the forest around 5:30 PM on Sunday. Reports indicate that residents from a nearby tribal community alerted the rescue team after spotting her the previous day.
After her rescue, Sharanya commented to reporters that she had “somehow lost her way” but did not experience fear during her ordeal.
Maintaining a calm demeanor, Sharanya, who hails from Nadapuram in Kozhikode district, shared her experience of surviving alone in the thick forest with limited supplies and dwindling chances of communication. “I couldn’t see anyone as I descended. I took a left path but couldn’t find anyone,” she explained.
Equipped with only a 500-milliliter bottle of water and without mobile service, she attempted to reach out to a colleague before her phone battery died. “I walked until around 6:45 PM on the first day after losing my way. After that, I settled in an open area by a stream,” she recounted.
She continued to wander for the next few days, hoping to encounter someone. “I didn’t feel scared. I can’t explain why,” she added.
Rescuers eventually discovered her in a secluded area of the forest, which is reportedly not frequented by people, according to rescue team members.
The trek to Tadiandamol, which stands at 1,748 meters and is Karnataka’s third-highest peak, covers approximately 4 kilometers. Sharanya was hiking alone and had been staying at a nearby homestay.
Minister Khandre stated that a comprehensive search operation involving multiple agencies was initiated in Kodagu district after she failed to return to her starting point on April 2. She was participating in an organized trek under the supervision of the Madikeri Forest Division, which included 15 other trekkers and a licensed guide.
Sharanya informed her group via phone that she was lost and unable to navigate back. The forest department began search efforts around 2 PM on April 2, with police also joining the operation. The search escalated into an extensive mission involving nearly 70 personnel, including police, the Anti-Naxal Force (ANF), forest staff, and local volunteers.
Twelve specialized search teams were created to thoroughly search the area. Advanced technologies such as thermal imaging drones, mobile phone tracking, call data analysis, and sniffer dogs were employed, according to the forest department. Local tribal members and forest officials collaborated closely during the rescue operation.
—With contributions from PTI
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