Wayanad: A daring attempt by forest officers to rescue four toddlers and their parents belonging to a tribal community in Kerala's Wayanad comes as a note of hope amid death and gloom in the district, which was hit by catastrophic landslides on July 30.
The photo of one of the officers holding a child close to his chest has been widely shared on social media since last Friday, with netizens lauding the four who carried out the dangerous trek, reached the family trapped on a hilltop and brought them down to safety.
The four officers led by Kalpetta Range Forest Officer, K Ashif, undertook the dangerous trek deep inside the forest on August 1 to rescue the tribal family which included three toddlers aged between one and four, and their father.
The family, which belongs to the Paniya community of Wayanad, was stranded in a cave atop a hill overlooking a deep gorge, and it took over a four-and-a-half-hour trek for the team to reach there. The forest officer had found the mother and a four-year-old child wandering near the forest region on August 1 and, upon inquiry, came to know about her three other children and their father stranded in a cave without food.
Ashif said the family belonged to a particular section of the tribal community, which 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," he said. The Forest Range Officer narrated their perilous journey, in which they had to encounter slippery and steep rocks amid heavy downpours.
"The children were tired, and we fed them with whatever we had carried. Later, after much persuasion, their father agreed to come with us, and we tied the children to our bodies and started our trek back," he said. The officers had to tie ropes to trees and rocks to climb the slippery rocks, which he described as hazardous.
They returned to the Attamala anti-poaching office, where the children were fed and given clothes and footwear. "Currently, they are housed there. The children are safe now," he said. The visual of one of the officers holding a child close was also shared by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on social media. The CM hailed the challenging attempt of the forest officials.
"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," Vijayan posted on 'X' on Friday. Along with Ashif, section forest officer, B S Jayachandran, beat forest officer, K Anil Kumar and RRT (Rapid Response Team) member Anoop Thomas took part in the over seven-kilometer-long journey to rescue the family.
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… pic.twitter.com/kDXP26UBBS
— Pinarayi Vijayan (@pinarayivijayan) August 2, 2024
Social media praises the team
The photos and videos of the rescue operation were shared widely on social media where netizens lauded the effort and thanked the officers for saving the family.
"Miracles do Happen, Heroes Do exist," wrote Sneha Mordani on X as she shared the photos.
IAS officer Supriya Sahu too praised the officers calling them "unsung heroes" as she shared the video of the rescue operation. "Daring rescue of stranded tribal kids by Kerala foresters in the aftermath of Wayanad landslides risking their lives. Salute to all unsung heroes," she wrote on X.
Daring rescue of stranded tribal kids by Kerala foresters in the aftermath of Wayanad landslides risking their lives. Salute to all unsung heroes 🫡 #WayanadLandslide video credits Kerala Forest Dept pic.twitter.com/YHF2Balbyc
— Supriya Sahu IAS (@supriyasahuias) August 3, 2024
Another X user Manan Bhat shared an entire poem extolling the officers.
Yet another user wrote: "Not all heroes wear capes..."
Delhi Youth Congress also shared the photos on X and called them "real-life heroes".
