MADIKERI : A woman trekker, who is a techie from Kerala, went missing from Tadiandamol, the highest peak of Kodagu district, on Thursday. The police, forest officials and local residents have launched a search operation to trace her. Sharanya GS (36), who hails from Kerala, was visiting Kodagu when she went missing.
On Thursday morning, a group of around ten trekkers started on the Tadiandamol trail in the morning after receiving permission from the forest department.
Sharanya, a solo traveler from Kochi in Kerala, arrived at the foothill of the peak alone and sought permission to trek the trail. But as the belt has wild elephant movement, foresters at the checkpost asked her to join the other trekkers and walk the trail with them. But while the other trekkers returned from the peak in the evening, Sharanya was missing.
The foresters at the checkpost immediately got into action and started the search operation. The police, who had been alerted, too joined them along with local residents. The search continued till midnight, but could not trace Sharanya.
5 teams, dog squad search for missing techie
The search operation resumed early on Friday morning with five teams -- three from the forest department and two with the police and local residents. Madikeri DCF Abhishek confirmed that drones and dog squad are being used to track her.
“We are searching at all possible locations. The trek path of Tadiandamol is not tough and trekkers can easily find their way back in two to three hours,” he opined. The police, meanwhile, are looking at all possible angles and investigating the matter.
SP Bindu Mani RN confirmed that the family of the missing woman has been informed. Napoklu police confirmed that Sharanya works as a techie in Kochi and her brother has arrived in Kodagu after she was reported missing.