Wayanad: An adventure trip inspired by reels and fantasies of jungle living turned into a frightening experience for three school students from Kozhikode. They were finally traced by police and local residents after a tense search operation that continued late into the night.

The trio — two Plus Two students and a class ten student from a school near Thamarassery — had set out on a journey to Kodaikanal with dreams of camping by the roadside, interacting with local people, and experiencing a life close to nature, similar to what they had watched on social media.

The search operation became challenging when two of the children disappeared into a cliff popularly known as Neelimala, bordering dense forests along the Kerala–Tamil Nadu border. The region is known for frequent movement of wild animals after dark, making the rescue operation risky.

According to police, the plan was originally made by four students — two boys and two girls — who intended to travel on two bikes. They planned to carry tents, food supplies, knives for cooking and safety, and other essentials required for their jungle stay.

However, one of the girls backed out from the plan but promised not to reveal it to anyone. The remaining three decided to continue with the journey.

The trip began on Thursday. The girl, who came to school wearing her uniform, changed into other clothes at a rubber plantation near the school while the two boys waited nearby with their bikes. A rubber tapper who noticed the suspicious activity photographed the trio on his mobile phone.

Unaware of this, the students started their journey. To arrange money for petrol, provisions and camping materials, one of the boys reportedly sold his mobile phone, which was worth around ₹18,000, for ₹10,000 at a shop in Thamarassery. The remaining two mobile phones were switched off to avoid being tracked.

Meanwhile, the absence of the girl in the classroom raised suspicion among teachers. Her class teacher contacted her parents, leading to a search by family members and relatives. Police were also informed.

An inquiry at the school revealed that the two boys were also missing, along with their bikes. The recovered school uniform from the rubber plantation and the photograph taken by the rubber tapper provided crucial leads.

According to police, the alertness of the class teacher helped trace the missing students on the same day. The other girl, who was initially part of the plan, was also identified and revealed details about the trip. Police alerted the cyber wing to track the mobile phones and informed their counterparts in Wayanad. CCTV footage from checkposts showed the movement of the bikes towards the Sulthan Bathery–Mysuru route. Later, they were traced travelling through the Kozhikode–Ooty road towards Vaduvanchal.

Realising that they were being followed, the students reportedly took smaller roads to enter Tamil Nadu. Police tightened surveillance at border points and shared information with local residents, drivers and WhatsApp groups to identify the bikes.

According to Mooppainadu grama panchayat ward member V Kesavan, local residents attempted to stop the bikes near Chithragiri on the Ooty road by evening. One boy was caught, while the other boy and the girl escaped towards the forest area. “The children, sensing the pressure of the search, took a risky route towards the cliff area to avoid being caught,” Kesavan said.

For several hours, police and local residents had no clear information about their location. Later, one of the mobile phones was switched on, and its location pointed towards the cliff area. “Even during daytime, people rarely enter the abandoned coffee plantation near the forest because of the presence of wild animals. We formed teams with experienced local trackers, forest officials and police personnel,” Kesavan added.

When a patrol team approached the location in the coffee plantation at the forest edge, the two children noticed the movement and reportedly attempted to escape. They left behind their tent and provisions, reached the hidden bike and sped away.

Another search team waiting at the Ooty-Kozhikode Road below the cliff chased them and intercepted them at Padivayal during the early hours of Friday. A Meppadi police official who was part of the operation said the situation became tense as local residents were angry when the children attempted to escape even after being located. “The police vehicle immediately reached the spot and took the children to the Meppadi police station, where their parents, who had arrived earlier, were waiting,” the official said.

The adventure finally ended safely by dawn, with no injuries reported among the children or the rescue teams. “The incident should be a lesson for children who enter the imaginary world of adventure shown in reels. Real-life situations can be completely different and sometimes dangerous,” the official added.