Kerala trekker rescued: How a casual hike uphill had put the entire state on tenterhooks

PALAKKAD: “Babu is a hardworking boy who takes care of his mother and brother. He distributes newspapers in the morning and then goes for laying tiles. He is not a trekker as such. On Monday, he casually went hiking up the hill with his two friends. They were not prepared for trekking and did not have even a bottle of water with them,” said Jamsheer,

Babu

’s uncle.



R Babu, whose sojourn uphill kept the state on tenterhooks and triggered a search and rescue operation, one of the biggest in recent times, completed his Class X from Malampuzha government school. Since his father died when he was very young he started doing odd jobs to help his mother who works in a hotel as a cook.


Babu’s younger brother Shaji, 21, works as a plumber. The mother and brothers stay in a small house constructed by the government in surplus land.

“His will to live and the hope that he will be rescued gave him strength to survive the ordeal. Though he was feeling tired and had no water or food for two days he did not sleep. That helped him survive,” Jamsheer said.