Bengaluru trekker missing during Kumaraparvatha trek

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Sep 17, 2019: A 25-year-old man from Bengaluru who went trekking to Kumaraparvatha near the pilgrim centre Kukke Subrahmanya in Dakshina Kannada district has gone missing. Following a complaint by the trekking team at Subrahmanya police station, the police and forest officials have launched a search for the youth.

The missing trekker has been identified as Santosh, a resident of Gayathrinagar in Bengaluru working for a private firm in the city.

According to the police, a team of 12 trekkers from Bengaluru arrived in Subrahmanya on September 14 on an expedition to Kumaraparvatha in the Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary. Beginning their ascent of the 1,700-metre mountain the same morning, the trekkers halted at the house of a local in Girigadde area en route the summit.

The team proceeded towards the Sheshaparvatha on September 15 and after summitting, returned to Girigadde the same day on the way to the base camp in Subrahmanya.

According to locals, while the five members of the team descended first, another six members started to climb down 15 minutes later. However, Santosh chose to trek down in between and went missing in a span of few minutes.

The team of trekkers alerted wildlife officials the same evening and searched the forests, but in vain. Santosh’s friend Darshan, who was also part of the team, upon returning to Subrahmanya on Monday filed a missing complaint.Five joint teams of police and forest officials are expected to take up search and rescue operations on Tuesday.