An IT professional survived four days alone in a dense Karnataka forest after getting lost during a trek
KOZHIKODE: Kerala-based IT professional G S Sharanya, who survived four days alone in the dense forests near Tadiandamol in Karnataka’s Kodagu district after losing her way, says the experience has not shaken her passion for trekking — if anything, it has strengthened it.Speaking from her home in Nadapuram, the 36-year-old recalled the ordeal as one marked not by fear, but by moments of stillness and natural beauty. Despite being stranded with no food, limited water and no phone connectivity, she says she never felt panic and is already planning her next trek to Tawang, subject to leave.Sharanya got separated from her group on April 2 while descending from the peak and lost her way while trying to retrace her steps.
A brief mobile signal allowed her to alert her homestay, but she soon lost connectivity and her phone battery died, leaving her completely cut off.She spent the first night near a rocky stream after walking through the forest till evening, stopping due to leg pain. With just a 500 ml bottle of water and no food after finishing a banana at the peak, she survived by drinking from the stream, consuming around three litres a day.
On the second day, she stayed in an open patch to increase her chances of being spotted by search teams using drones. Heavy rain on the third day forced her to abandon plans to climb higher for visibility. By the fourth day, with clouds gathering again, she attempted to move uphill.That effort led to her rescue.“I heard voices and responded, but they couldn’t see me. So I shook a tree to signal my location,” she said, referring to local tribal searchers who were part of the rescue operation.Throughout the ordeal, she said the forest felt alive rather than threatening. “At night, there were cicadas and fireflies, and it was so bright it felt like a full moon. It was a different experience,” she said.Despite being in a region known for wildlife, including elephants — signs of which she noticed — she encountered only monkeys.Her disappearance had triggered a large-scale search involving forest officials, police, Anti-Naxal Squad personnel and local tribal communities, supported by drone and thermal imaging technology.
She was eventually found in a remote patch of forest after more than 72 hours.Sharanya was conscious and stable when rescued and did not suffer major injuries.She maintains that fear never set in during the four days.“I wasn’t scared,” she said.Now back home, she is already looking ahead — determined that getting lost in the forest will not mean giving up on it.
