Wayanad: The Wayanad tragedy is not only a testament to nature’s fury but also highlights tales of unparalleled valour, compassion and selfless service towards humanity. The rescue operation has turned the spotlight on the real-life heroes of this catastrophe. In one such instance, a daring eight-hour operation was conducted by forest officers to rescue four toddlers and their parents belonging to a tribal community in Wayanad. They were stranded in a cave atop a hill without any food for over five days.
The foresters undertook a perilous four-hour trek, venturing deep inside the forest despite heavy rain. The four-member rescue team was led by Kalpetta Range Forest Officer, K Hashis. The four stranded toddlers were aged between one and four.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had also praised the rescue effort on social media. “Their heroism reminds us that Kerala’s resilience shines brightest in the darkest times. United in hope, we will rebuild and emerge stronger,” the CM had said, according to an India Today report.
The mother of the toddlers was found wandering around Attamala forest in search of food. Forest Officer K Hashis had spotted the woman, who then led the rescue team to the cave where her toddlers were taking shelter.
“The children were tired, and we fed them with whatever we had carried… We tied the children to our bodies and started our trek back,” Hashis told the PTI. These foresters had to tie ropes to trees and rocks to carry out the rescue operation. Images of one of the officers holding a child in his arms went viral on social media. Along with Hashis, section forest officer BS Jayachandran, beat forest officer K Anil Kumar and RRT (Rapid Response Team) member Anoop Thomas had joined the operation.
The jumbo guardian for the night
On the night of the devastating landslide, Sujatha and her granddaughter took refuge in a coffee plantation. They skipped a heartbeat as they encountered a wild elephant there. A frightened Sujatha pleaded before the elephant and requested it to not harm them. In her interview to media, Sujatha recalled that the elephant seemed to have understood their distress as its eyes welled up with tears.
She and her granddaughter sat at the elephant’s feet. The animal remained still until dawn. Two other wild elephants stood guard nearby. For Sujatha, it was a ‘divine intervention.’
How did Sujatha’s family escaped
She had escaped from her collapsing house, holding onto her grandchild. The water around was no less than a sea and trees were floating by. She could see her neighbour’s two-story house collapsing like a pack of cards. Sujatha covered her granddaughter with a cloth. She then swam through the flood water to reach the coffee plantation.
Her son Gigeesh, his wife Sujitha, and her grandson Suraj were in another house nearby. Gigeesh dragged them through the water. They were injured, but managed to take shelter in the coffee plantation until they were rescued and taken to a shelter.
148 bodies handed over so far
“We have handed over 148 bodies so far. A total of 10,042 people are staying in 93 relief camps. Search operations continue in the disaster area and along the Chaliyar River. A total of 1,419 personnel are engaged in the rescue efforts. Drone-based radar will be deployed soon. The people of Kerala stand united in lifting Wayanad back on its feet,” Vijayan said.
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