Faint cry in Tadiandamol’s wilderness leads rescuers to missing trekker from Kerala

Rescuers locate missing Kerala trekker Sharanya in Tadiandamol forest after hearing her faint cry amid dense wilderness.

A faint human cry echoing through the dense forests of Tadiandamol in Kodagu district in response to shouts by members of a search team comprising tribals provided the first breakthrough in locating missing Kerala trekker Sharanya, on Sunday (April 5, 2026).

Around 3 p.m., Mr Ayyappa, one of the five-member team from the Adiya tribal community, climbed onto a rock and repeatedly called out her name. In response, they heard a faint cry from deep within the wilderness — a crucial indication that the trekker was alive four days after she went missing.

Sharanya had taken refuge was in an area the Adiya tribals had never ventured into before. | Photo Credit: Special arrangement

Encouraged by repeated responses to their calls, the group moved swiftly in the direction of the sound.

“We rushed through the rugged terrain, crossing hills and streams for nearly two kilometres before finally reaching her,” said Mr. Ayyappa, a daily wager at a coffee estate. He was part of the team that located 36-year-old Sharanya from Kerala, who had gone missing during a trek to Tadiandamol on Thursday (April 2, 2026).

The Adiya tribals, hailing from Paisari in Kodagu, had joined the search operation for the first time on Sunday. “After Forest Department personnel, who had been searching alongside us, called off their operation in the afternoon, we chose to continue on our own. The missing trekker was like our sister — we could not give up,” Mr. Ayyappa told The Hindu.