Odisha Teacher Survives 15 Days In Forest After Being Swept Away By Cyclone Arnab Floodwaters
Swept nearly three kilometres downstream, the Kandhamal teacher survived on spring water before two cattle grazers found him.
For more than 15 days, Mohan Maharana clung to life in a desolate forest in Odisha’s Kandhamal district, surviving on nothing but spring water after being swept away by raging floodwaters triggered by Cyclone Arnab. His family had almost given up hope of ever seeing him again. But in an extraordinary tale of courage and survival, the government schoolteacher was finally found alive.
Maharana, a teacher at Duba Primary School in Raikia block, went missing on October 28 while returning home amid heavy and incessant rainfall. He was reportedly swept nearly three kilometres downstream before managing to grab a floating tree branch and crawl out of the water. Injured and disoriented, he took shelter in a rocky crevice but could not find his way out of the dense forest.
With no food to sustain him, he survived by drinking water from a nearby natural spring. Despite repeatedly shouting for help, his cries went unheard in the isolated terrain.
His ordeal came to an end when two cattle grazers from Ratangi village spotted him on Friday, the 13th day of the month, and alerted Raikia police. A rescue team, assisted by villagers, carried the weakened teacher on a sling along an arduous 8-9 km hilly stretch to Raikia Community Health Centre for treatment.
Though his condition has shown some improvement, Maharana remains weak. His brother said he had lost nearly 10-15 kg during the ordeal. The family, which had searched extensively and approached the police, was overwhelmed with relief upon learning that he was alive.
Recounting his frightening experience, Maharana said he was cooking at his residence in Sunthia when he heard someone calling him. Stepping outside, he found water everywhere. Darkness and the surging floodwaters left him completely disoriented.
“When I regained consciousness the next morning, I found myself on a dry riverbed surrounded by heaps of stones. There was only spring water nearby. I survived by drinking it for around 15 days. I kept calling for help, but nobody could hear me,” he recalled.
Despite the ordeal, the teacher has not lost his enthusiasm for teaching. Once fully recovered, he hopes to return to Duba Primary School and reunite with his students, whom he says he missed throughout his terrifying battle for survival.
