‘She seems to be a strong lady,’ says Karnataka Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar on Kerala trekker rescued in Kodagu

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Monday, April 6, 2026, thanked all officials and tribal community members who scoured the forest in Kodagu, Karnataka, for a 36-year-old trekker from Kozhikode who went missing on April 2. Hiker GS Sharanya was finally found on Sunday.

“She looks like a very strong woman,” said Mr. Shivakumar, who was in Thiruvananthapuram for the Congress party’s election campaign.

He said a large team of more than 170 people, including forest officials and tribals, worked together as part of the search and rescue mission. “They saw Sharanya lying on a rock. One day it rained heavily. There was no water or food for her. Still, she was breathing well. She looks like a very strong woman,” he said.

Ms. Sharanya’s mother, Shailaja, met Mr. Shivakumar on Sunday to seek his help in tracing her daughter. Mr. Shivakumar said he immediately contacted Kodagu SP and DFO. “In the end, Ms. Sharanya’s resilience and willpower prevailed,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.

Ms. Sharanya was found about 6 km from the Tadiandamol peak by a team of Kudiya tribe members and Karnataka Forest department personnel.