A Kerala techie has been in the spotlight since she went missing in a dense forest on April 2. The 36-year-old woman named GS Sharanya was found on Sunday, 5 April, in the Tadiandamol hills of Karnataka's Kodagu district. The woman had "lost her way somehow" during the adventurous trek but was found in good health after intense search operation.
A native of Nadapuram in Kozhikode district of Kerala, GS Sharanya roamed in wild forest for days with limited resources and fading hope of contact.
GS Sharanya recounts how she survived alone in the dense forest
Recalling the ordeal, she said that she just had a 500 ml bottle of water and some snacks when she got lost and was unable to trace any member of the group with whom she had gone out for trekking. Her phone went out of charge when said she tried contacting a colleague.
With no mobile connectivity, she “walked till around 6.45 pm on the first day after losing the path. After that, I stayed in an open space near a stream as I could not proceed further because of the dense forest.” However, she did not lose hope in the days that followed and was determined to succeed against the odds.
“I had lost my way. I could not see anyone when I climbed down. I came to a left-side path but could not find anyone,” PTI quoted GS Sharanya as saying. Hoping to overcome this difficult situation, she “kept walking expecting to meet someone,” in the days that followed.
According to GS Sharanya, fear never overtook her even though she was alone for days in a forest area believed to be frequented by elephants and amid intermittent heavy rain. Addressing reporters after being rescued, she said, “I did not feel scared. I don't know why,” with a confident smile.
GS Sharanya was part of a 10-member group that had set out for trekking on 2 April. On the first day of trek, she reached the Thadiyandamol trekking base around 7 am.
Authorities were alerted after she failed to return. Anti-Naxal Squad members and local tribal communities were roped in to carry out massive round-the-clock search operation involving nine teams-including forest officials.
According to officials, Sharanya, who was staying at a private homestay in Kakkabe village, had last contacted it on Thursday, 2 April, informing them that she had lost her way.
Chief Minister of Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan even wrote to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to intensify search efforts and deploy additional personnel and advanced equipment, including thermal drone cameras to locate her.
Eventually, the techie spotted by a group of locals in a remote patch of the forest “where nobody usually goes”. Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre confirmed that the Kerala woman had been found in good health.
