Braving Rain, Trekking for Hours: How Forest Officers Rescued 4 Toddlers From Wayanad Cave

Wayanad: The landslide-affected district in Kerala which is struggling to stand on its feet again after the natural calamity claimed the lives of over 330 people while hundreds still missing, a daring rescue operation by forest officers saving the lives of four toddlers and their parents belonging to a tribal comunity, has earned the praise from Cheif Minsiter Pinarayi Vijayan who called the operation an act of 'heroism'.

Taking to X, CM Vijayan tweeted, "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(sic)."

The rescue operation took eight hours to complete. The officials undertook a dangerous four-hour trek deep inside a forest braving rain and rocky terrain. The four-member team was led by Kalpetta Range Forest Officer, K Hashis. The rescued toddlers were aged between one and four.

Belonging to the Paniya community of Wayanad, the tribal family was stranded in a cave atop a hill.

According to sources, forest officer Hashis spotted the mother of the toddlers wandering around Attamala forest in search of food. After the woman told the officer that they did not have any food for over 5 days, the forest officers reached to the cave where the four toddlers were taking shelter. The family was brought to safety after an eight-hour rescue mission.

Hashis told news agency PTI that  they found the mother wandering near the forest on Thursday and, upon inquiry, came to know about her other children and their father stranded in a cave without food. Hashis said the community generally avoided interactions with outsiders.

"They normally survive on forest products and sell them in the local market to purchase rice. However, it seems like, due to the landslide and the heavy rains, they were unable to procure any food," PTI quoted him as saying.

The Forest Ranger said the team encountered slippery and steep rocks amid heavy downpour. "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 added.

To culminate the journey successfully, the officers had to tie ropes to trees and rocks to reach the destination and return therefater. Upon returning to the Attamala anti-poaching office, the children were fed and given clothes. The image of one of the forest officers wrapping a toddler around his arms during the rescue operation has gone viral.

Along with Hashis, section forest officer BS Jayachandran, beat forest officer K Anil Kumar and RRT (Rapid Response Team) member Anoop Thomas undertook the rescue mission