Odisha trekker stranded on Muthurayaswamy hill rescued after two-hour operation

An employee of a private firm from Orissa who was stranded on Muthurayaswamy hill at Hunsanahalli in Ramanagara taluk was rescued by fire and rescue personnel on Sunday. | Photo credit: Special arrangement

An employee of a private firm from Odisha, who got stuck on Muthurayaswamy Hill in Hunsanahalli in Ramanagara taluk after losing his way during a walking expedition, was rescued by Fire and Rescue Service personnel after a nearly two-hour operation on Sunday.

The man, identified as Vishwajith, works as a hotel manager in Bengaluru’s Varthur and visited the hill to go trekking and shoot videos. While exploring the hill, he is said to have lost his way and found himself stranded on a rocky cliff, unable to find a safe way down.

At first he tried to descend by crawling over the steep terrain, but ended up stuck on a cliff. Exhausted after the climb and unable to move any further or climb back up, he decided to seek help, according to fire and emergency personnel.

“Fortunately, he had a mobile phone with him and managed to get a network connection. He dialed 112 and alerted the dispatcher,” the official said.

After the alarm, a team of fire and rescue services headed by Santosh Patil rushed to the spot and started the rescue operation. Using Mr. Vishwajith’s phone number, the team tracked his location and traveled nearly 2.3 km uphill through difficult terrain before finding him.

“We started shouting his name to get a response. He was so exhausted and scared that he could not even shout,” Mr Patil told The Hindu.

After locating him, rescuers tied a rope to a tree and secured themselves with safety ropes around their waists before carefully lowering themselves to the trapped man. They reached him and brought him down safely with ropes.

“We gave him water and assured him that he was safe. After giving him some rest, we escorted him down the hill,” added Mr. Patil.

After the rescue, Mr Vishwajith took to social media to thank the police and fire and rescue personnel for their timely intervention. He also warned others not to venture into unfamiliar and difficult terrain without adequate knowledge of the area or proper guidance.

Mr. Patil advised tourists not to venture alone into unknown hills and forest areas.

Published – 15 Nov 2026 18:40 IST