Villagers rescue nonagenarian lost in forest

Shwetha S

Killur, Oct 04: It was nothing less than a celebration in Mittabagilu village of Belthangady Taluk after the villagers found the nonagenarian who went missing four days ago.

A team of villagers found the 92-year-old person who went missing from his house inside the forest on Sunday morning.

Annu Poojary (92) of Shanthi Gudde in Mittabagilu village had ventured out of his house four days ago but did not return. The worried family members and the villagers started searching for him near the house but failed.

The village is situated in the foothills of Western Ghats and the forest is near the house. As it is raining since few days. Some suspected that he might have entered the forest and lost his way.

Some villagers went to the nearby astrologer to get a clue. The astrologer had declared that Annu would be found by Sunday noon. Meanwhile villagers formed teams and continued the search operation in the forest area.

Finally, on Sunday morning, the team comprising local youths- Kadumane Vijay, Vinay Senarabettu, Ratan, Girish and others found him sitting on a stone besides a stream near Kadumane forest.

“He is healthy and was sitting on a stone. He survived drinking the water in the stream nearby,” former vice president of Mittabagilu Gram Panchayat Vinay Senarabettu told The Canara Post.

Vinay had undergone training by NDRF recently.

Annu told the villagers that after reaching the forest he stayed on the rock for four days drinking the water in the stream. As he was exhausted the villagers carried him down to the village on their shoulders.

“He was found in the forest about 3 km away from his house. We are now bringing him down the forest,” activist Mohan Killur, who was part of the search operation added.

It was nothing less than a celebration for the villagers as they found the elderly person safe.