5-year-old girl survived three nights alone in a rain-drenched forest with a wild bear following her
Spending even a single night alone in a jungle or a dense forest alive with creatures is a frightening dream for even an adult, let alone a child. So obviously, when 5-year-old Zarina Avgonina suddenly disappeared into a dense forest in Russia, her family started expecting the worst-case scenario, reported The Sun. While everyone was worried sick about the girl’s whereabouts, to their surprise, she was found alive. After spending three nights all by herself in the eerie place, she was saved by the search and rescue team. However, what baffled many was that there was reportedly a wild bear on her trail. While anything could have happened, the girl managed to survive until she was found. How she did it still remains a mystery.
Avgonina was trying to follow her grandmother, who went out to collect mushrooms. She somehow got lost and was stuck in the dangerous forest all by herself. Search dogs and rescue teams were called and they conducted a frantic search for 72 hours before they could find the girl. They did everything in their power to get any traces. Avgonina’s mother, who was pregnant, was unable to actively search, but sent a recording in hopes that the girl might recognize the voice, as stated by The Mirror. The fear was that the girl had drowned or fallen into one of the scary and unprecedented terrains.
A 5-year-old girl on her own in a forest, surrounded by danger, one would have to hope hard that she was okay. Since she was reportedly afraid of men, there had to be women in every team to call out to her so she might respond. None of these efforts seemed to work until they spotted her footprints. While it was a sign of relief, the rescuers were terrified to find wild bear prints very close to those of the girl’s. “Their paths had crossed,” one rescuer noted. With worry increasing, the teams remained on the lookout. They even called armed men in case the bear showed up. It was also noted that wolves roamed around the area. It became crucial to find the girl as quickly as possible.
On the fourth day of being missing, the girl was finally found. She peeked from the twigs and branches where she was hiding. In hopes of not scaring her away and keeping her calm, a searcher and local newspaper reporter, Svetlana Shuga, who was present, urged the rescuers to be silent. She softly called out to the girl to let her know she was safe. Found a mile away from where she had gone missing, it was a relieving victory for the rescuers and the family. They approached Avgonina, who was covered in mosquito bites. She had remained three nights in a 10-degree biting cold with no cover.
A video shared by VTM News shows the rescuers covering her with foil immediately and carrying her. The team managed to calm her down and convince her that they meant no harm. She eventually warmed up to them. When she was asked if she was afraid, the girl bravely responded, “No! I'm just thirsty and want to eat cake....and go home!” The 5-year-old suffered severe dehydration but was given a drink of water by the rescuers immediately and was shifted to the hospital.