Bottle of water, no network: How techie, missing for 4 days during trek, survived

A 36-year-old Kerala woman who went missing during a trek in Karnataka's Kodagu district has been rescued after four days, officials confirmed on Sunday. At a press conference in Bengaluru, Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre said she was in good health.

Sharanya, an IT professional from Kozhikode, had set out on April 2 to trek to the Tadiandamol peak with 15 others and a nature guide. When the group returned to the base camp that afternoon, she was nowhere to be found. A search operation was launched the same day.

Speaking to reporters after her rescue, Sharanya said she lost her way while descending. "I could not see anyone when I climbed down. I came to a left-side path but could not find anyone," she said.

With only a 500 ml water bottle and no mobile connectivity, she spent the next four days moving through the dense forest. Sharanya said she also tried contacting a colleague, before her phone ran out of charge. She stayed near a stream on the first night and continued to walk in search of help for the next three days. Eventually, she was spotted by locals in a remote part of the forest.

Despite spending four days alone in a forest known to have elephants, amid heavy rain and with no means of communication, Sharanya said she was never afraid. "I did not feel scared. I don't know why," she said with a smile. She will be safely escorted back to Kerala.

A total of nine teams, comprising forest officials, police, the Anti-Naxal Squad, and local tribal communities, conducted a round-the-clock search operation. Thermal drone cameras were also deployed to locate her.

The operation was intensified at the direction of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah after his Kerala counterpart urged him to personally intervene in the matter.

Describing Sharanya as "brave and adventurous", Khandre said that the lack of mobile connectivity in the forest had made it difficult to trace her location.

The minister praised all those involved in the operation and said it was the government's responsibility to find any missing trekker, regardless of which state he or she is from.

(With inputs from PTI)

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