'Wasn't afraid', says trekker who was trapped on mountain face in Kerala for two days

Palakkad (Kerala): Young trekker R Babu, who was trapped in the face of a mountain cleft and was rescued by the Indian Army through a breathtaking operation recently, said on Friday that trekking was his passion and he was sure that someone would come to rescue him from the steep gorge. "I was not afraid. The cleft was like a tiny cave. When it was too cold and too hot outside, I used to crawl into the gorge and came outside whenever I heard anyone calling my name," he told reporters here.

The 23-year-old youth was discharged from the district hospital here this morning as the doctors certified that his health condition was stable. However, they advised him to take rest at least for one week. When asked whether he realised that his rescue was breaking news in channels, the trekker said he was not aware of it but he was sure that someone would come to lift him to safety. "The mobile phone lost its charge by the evening. Before that, I managed to click some selfies and sent them to my friends to inform them that I was stranded there. I also tried to convey the message to the Fire and Rescue personnel," he detailed.

Babu said besides the severe climate, the lack of food and water was also an issue as he developed difficulties with time running out. On the failed mission of airlifting him from the cleft initially, the youth said it was not possible as its rotors would hit the rock. Stating that he would like to continue his passion for travelling and trekking, Babu also said his present priority was to take proper rest and have good food.

After being trapped in a cleft on a mountain face in Malampuzha area of Palakkad district in Kerala for nearly two days, rescue teams of the Army were able to reach Babu, provide him food and water and then haul him to safety on Wednesday morning.

A specialist mountaineering team of the Madras Regimental Centre (MRC) rescued him from the cleft. The Army deployed two teams consisting of qualified mountaineers and rock climbing experts from Parachute Regimental Centre, Bangalore and Madras Regimental Centre, Wellington.

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Babu, along with two others, had on Monday decided to climb to the top of Cherad hill in Kerala, but the other two abandoned the effort halfway. However, Babu continued to climb to the hilltop, and after reaching there, slipped and fell and got trapped between rocks on the mountain face.