Pledging their own lives, four forest officers in Kerala undertook a dangerous four-hour trek in the steep and rocky terrain of Attamala in Wayanad to rescue a tribal family of four, including three children aged between one and four. The rescue operation has earned praise from Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who said the act was a reminder that “Kerala's resilience shines brightest in the darkest times.” The family was stuck atop the hill after the devastating landslides in Wayanad, which claimed more than 200 lives so far and injured thousands.
Kalpetta Range officer Hashif told the media that after the landslide on July 29, they had spotted Shantha, the mother of the kids, along with her eldest four-year-old child in the forest. “We had gone there to check on the 30 or odd tribal members living in the hill,” he told the Reporter channel. Since the woman is a resident of the hill, the officers had continued on with their work. However, when he spotted the duo again on August 1, the woman told him that her family was inside a cave at the top of the hill and they had not eaten for four days. The family, belonging to the Paniya community, was stranded in the cave after the landslides.
“We immediately shifted Shantha and the child to a camp. At the time, we were only able to get our hands on a 20-metre long rope. With that, three other staff and I started towards the cave located on the Soojipara hill, which was a seven kilometre steep trek,” he said. Besides Hashif, forester Jayachandran, forest guard Anil Kumar, and forest watcher Anoop Thomas were the ones who undertook the trek in the difficult terrain to save the family, amidst rain.
Upon spotting the children and their father, the officers tied the children on to their bodies with a bedsheet they tore into three. “The return trip was really difficult because the slope was slippery and we had children with us. We climbed down with the help of nothing but a rope. We had a few injuries, but the children are safe,” Hashif said. The children and the family are currently at the forest anti poaching camp shed in Attamala.
Lauding the forest officers for their rescue mission, CM Pinarayi said, “Six precious lives were saved from a remote tribal settlement after a tireless 8-hour operation by our courageous forest officials in landslide-hit Wayanad. Their heroism reminds us that Kerala's resilience shines brightest in the darkest times. United in hope, we will rebuild and emerge stronger.”