“Just keep going…no feeling is final,” a phrase from Rainer Maria Rilke comes to mind when you hear the story of a traveler from Kerala who lost his way in the dense forests of the Tadiandamul Hills in Kodagu district of Karnataka recently.
She was alone for four days, with no way to contact the outside world, but she was not afraid. GS Charanya, 36, a techie from Kerala, lost her way while on a trip on April 2 with a group. She was not found until after spending four days in the dense forest. During this time, Sharania struggled to return or find her home, but she never lost her smile or her strength.
Thanks to the efforts of several agencies involved in a massive, around-the-clock search, she was eventually found. The operation involved nine teams, including forest officials, anti-Naxal squad members and local tribal communities, and was launched soon after her disappearance was reported.
How did she survive in the jungle for four days?
As the group descended the hills, Charania was left behind. She tried to look for other members, but soon realized that she had been alone for some time.
She only had 500ml of water left and a dying phone. What did you do next? She walked and walked, trying to contact her friend and the accommodation she was staying at. She was able to call her friend and homestay before her phone ran out of battery.
Read also | I was not afraid, says a Kerala woman who was rescued three days after she went missing in Kodagu
“I turned left to look for people, but I got lost because the forest was dense. Till around 6:45 pm, I kept walking down the hill, thinking that I would meet someone eventually, but I didn’t. So I stayed on the hill. I called my friend Yadu and asked him to inform others. While I was trying to send a text message to the helpline number, my phone went off. The next morning, my leg was hurting, so I didn’t walk,” she said.
However, the next day, she got up again and started walking, hoping someone would spot her and help her get home.
Despite being alone in a forest believed to be frequented by elephants, amid intermittent heavy rain, she said she was never afraid.
“I didn’t feel afraid,” she said. “I don’t know why.”
On the second day, she climbed up the hill, thinking the area would offer a better view and that a drone might spot her.
On the third day, she wanted to walk more, but the continuous rain stopped her.
She said: “I was soaked in water, and it was very cold at night, so I couldn’t sleep. Today (Sunday), I waited until almost noon and I was still wet from the rain.”
She eventually decided to take shelter near a rock next to the river. From there, they were easier to spot and had access to water. In this place, she was finally found by a group of local residents and rescuers.
