A 36-year-old woman from Kerala, G S Sharanya, was rescued on Sunday, three days after going missing while hiking to Tadiandamol Peak in Karnataka’s Kodagu district.
Karnataka Forest, Ecology and Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre told reporters that she was safe and healthy. “I spoke to her. She is healthy and is not facing any complications,” he said.
Team finally rescue the Kerala trekker after 4 days
The minister’s office shared a photo of Sharanya with four rescuers. She was found inside an abandoned temple in the forest around 5:30 PM on Sunday. Sources said residents of a nearby tribal hamlet informed the rescue team about a woman they had spotted a day earlier.
After her rescue, Sharanya told reporters she “lost her way somehow” but never felt afraid. Appearing calm, Sharanya, who lives in Nadapuram in Kozhikode district of Kerala, explained how she survived alone in the dense forest with limited resources and little hope of contacting anyone. “I could not see anyone when I climbed down. I took a left path but not find anyone.”
Team rescue her from remote area
With only a 500-ml bottle of water and no phone service, she attempted to reach a colleague before her phone died. “I walked until around 6:45 PM on the first day after I lost the path. After that, I stayed in an open space near a stream,” she said.
“In the next days, I kept walking, expecting to meet someone,” she added. “I did not feel scared. I don’t know why.”
Rescuers eventually found her in a remote area of the forest where nobody usually goes.
The trek to Tadiandamol spans about 4 km, making it Karnataka’s third-highest peak at 1,748 meters. Sharanya had traveled independently and was staying at a nearby homestay.
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