A 23-year-old hiker in India has been rescued after being stranded in a tiny crevice on a steep hill without food or water for around 43 hours.

R.Babu, from Malampuzha, a village in the southern Indian state of Kerala, got trapped in a crevice Monday afternoon while he was trekking the rocky Cherad hill, along with his two friends. Babu felt exhausted while descending. He slipped and fell through an opening on the hill and reportedly suffered injuries to his leg, local news outlet On Manorama reported.

The hill was around 1,000 meters tall and the crevice was 600 meters away from the base. In a video that surfaced online, the man could be seen sitting in the narrow crevice of the steep hill.

Babu, who had his phone with him, took photos and selfies of his location and shared them with his friends. This helped them locate the spot where he was trapped. His friends soon alerted the police.

However, local rescue agencies could not reach him due to visibility issues in the area. Their attempts to send him food and water also failed. Since the area was frequented by wild animals, the rescue agencies and local residents stayed nearby and lit flambeaus to keep the animals away.

A coast guard helicopter reached the spot Tuesday and tried to airlift him, but their efforts were in vain. The helicopter could not go close to the area where Babu was trapped due to rough terrain and strong winds.

A team from the Indian Army, which specializes in mountaineering and rescue, managed to talk to Babu on Wednesday morning. They gave him food and water. A member of the rescue team climbed down to the crevice and brought Babu to the top of the hill after strapping him with safety gear. He will be airlifted from the hilltop, according to reports.

The state forest department said it had issued several warnings saying the area was unsafe to trek as it had deep hill clefts and was frequented by wild animals, Hindustan Times reported.

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