Missing techie rescued from forest in Karnataka

Mangaluru, May 30 (PTI) A 25-year-old software engineer, who went missing in a forest range during a trek, has been traced by a team of local people and forest department personnel in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka.

Police said Paresh Kishanlal Agarwal, a techie hailing from Nagpur in Maharashtra and employed in Bengaluru, had gone missing on Sunday while trekking in the Charmadi forests in Belthangady taluk of Dakshina Kannada district.

The youth, who was trekking from Rani Zari of Moodigere taluk, had reached Bandaje Falls on Sunday evening. He lost his track after sunset.

He shared his location to his colleague in Bengaluru, who called the police control room. The information was shared in local WhatsApp groups in Charmadi.

A police team, forest department personnel and local youths set out in search of Agarwal. Two teams were formed for the search which began at 5 pm on Sunday and the youth was located near Bandaje rivulet around midnight, police said.

The software professional was exhausted as he was scared and surviving without food. After having food and water brought there by the team, he was given first aid and taken to Belthangady police station in the early hours of Monday.

He was later shifted to the resort where had booked a room while his parents were informed as well.

Police said the team members had to walk over 10 kilometres in the thick forests to locate him.