Trapped Kerala trekker rescued from hill by Army, gets helilift from summit

Palakkad: A 23-year-old youth who was trapped in the cleft of a remote hill near Malampuzha in Kerala's Palakkad district has been rescued by an Army team on Wednesday morning. The youth, Babu, was brought to the top of the hill by around 10.15 am, two days after he had gone up while exploring the rocky hill along with two other friends.

 

The youth was airlifted from there in a helicopter of the Coast Guard. A medical team of the army gave his first-aid before airlifting him. An army spokesperson said his health was fine. He was airlifted to the BEML's ground in Kanjikode and shifted to Palakkad District Hospital.

 

Back at the top of the hill, Babu was seen all cheerful despite experiencing a two-day ordeal. Visuals aired by Manorama News showed a smiling Babu sitting with the rescue team. He was also seen kissing the armymen as a mark of thanks. Babu, along with the armymen, hailed the Indian Army.

 

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan thanked the armed forces for carrying out the rescue operation succesfully. 

 

The rescue effort had commenced on Tuesday, initially with a Navy chopper doing the recee over the hilly terrain. However, the helicopter rescue bid was aborted owing to terrain and weather challenges.

 

Soon, an Army team with mountaineers was called in from Bengaluru.

 

The army personnel who conducted the rescue operation reached near Babu and gave him water and food around 9.30 am on Wednesday. A member of the rescue team took Babu to the top of the hill after giving him safety gears. 

 

The 23-year-old youth remained trapped in the hill cleft near Malampuzha for around 45 hours without food or water. A team of the Indian Army, specialised in mountaineering, started the rescue operation Tuesday night after other efforts to rescue the youth failed. 

 

Babu, a native of Cheradu, Malampuzha, slipped and fell into the cleft on Monday while descending the nearby Kurumbachi hill at Elichiram.

The army team established contact with Babu and said his health condition was stable. Babu replied to them in the morning when the Army said, “We reached, don't worry”. The rescuers told him not to shout and exhaust himself and that water will be brought to him soon.

Besides the Army, the NDRF, Coast Guard, Air Force and other agencies also helped in the rescue operations. Drones were also deployed to monitor Babu's movements. 

Providing water was crucial to keep him alive and among the top priority for the rescuers. 

How it happened?
Babu, along with his three friends, had trekked the hills on Monday afternoon. While trekking downhill, an exhausted Babu slipped and fell down the cleft.

Babu suffered injuries to his leg during the fall. The friends' attempts to rescue Babu using vines and sticks went in vain.

Following this, Babu's friends went down the hill and informed the locals and police of the situation.

A unit of the Kerala Fire and Rescue and the Malampuzha police reached the spot by midnight. They were unable to initiate rescue activities due to visibility issues. However, the group stayed nearby to ensure Babu's safety. The team lit flambeaus to keep wild animals away during the night.

Meanwhile, Babu had sent selfies and photographs of the spot where he was stuck to his friends and the police using his mobile phone.

Rescue by helicopter failed
By Tuesday, a Coast Guard helicopter arrived at the spot in an attempt to airlift Babu as per the request of Palakkad district collector Mrunmayi Joshi. But the helicopter was reportedly unable to go close to the steep slope where Babu was trapped or make a landing atop the hill. It returned after observing the situation.

According to a release issued by the Coast Guard, the helicopter pilot had decided to hover the aircraft near the ridge where the survivor was stranded, but due to "topography of the terrain and various met conditions the helicopter was experiencing heavy downdraft" and therefore, the mission was aborted.

Babu's family members and friends have gathered at the foot of the hills with prayers to get him back, unharmed.

The Kerala Forest Department had earlier warned visitors of the risks in trekking the steep Kurumbachi hill located six kilometres away from Cheradu. The area is frequented by wild animals.