An amazing story of survival in the taiga, or the forest epic of student Natalia Kosorukova
Experienced taiga specialists say that an ordinary person without supplies and equipment can survive in the taiga in the summer for no more than two weeks. But there are exceptions, as a student from Moscow proved in 1981. 17-year-old Natalya Kosorukova spent 25 days in the taiga and not only survived, but also did not suffer any significant damage to her health. True, there was one nuance that infuriated the rescuers when they discovered the missing woman.
Natalya Kosorukova, a student at the capital's geological prospecting college, was sent to practice on the Amaka expedition in Yakutia in June 1981. The girl ended up in the detachment of the famous geologist Eric Alekseev. The manager was pleased with the intern - in his diaries he described her as a competent and disciplined intern. Natasha quickly got used to the team and began working on an equal basis with everyone else.
But on the morning of June 15, 1981, Natasha was not in the camp. This was not at all like her, because the girl was very responsible about her work. She did not appear for lunch, and in the evening it became clear to everyone that an emergency had occurred. They began to search for the missing woman, combing the surroundings of the camp with shouts and shots.
There were many versions of the trainee’s disappearance. Someone suggested that the girl left the camp and became a victim of a wild beast. They also did not rule out the possibility that Natasha was offended by someone from the squad and she left. True, no one could remember the girl quarreling with anyone or even just arguing.
The head of the expedition, Krivonos, reported the current situation to headquarters. Search teams were organized there, which included both experienced geologists and student trainees. Equipment was involved in the search - all-terrain vehicles and several helicopters. Several boats began to ply along the Vilyui River. From them they carefully examined both banks.
Everyone knew the rules of survival in the taiga well. It said that a lost person should look for a river or stream. Moving downstream, a person will sooner or later come out to people. But the main thing is that it will be guaranteed to be provided with water. Therefore, they searched for Kosorukova, first of all, near bodies of water. But no traces of the missing student were found near rivers and streams.
The search was difficult. It rained constantly, which destroyed all traces and interfered with combing the forest. The morale of the people was also unimportant. Everyone was well aware that every day the chances of finding a girl were decreasing. During the landing of the helicopter, one of the workers participating in the search was hit by a propeller and died.
The situation was unfavorable for everyone. The leaders of the expedition understood that if Kosorukova was not found, they would all face trial and prison sentences. Natalya's parents called the detachment every day, hoping to hear at least some news. But they had absolutely nothing to say.
The first hope appeared only on July 3. Signs of human presence were found on the banks of one of the rivers. It turned out that the student was moving in the opposite direction from the camp. The tracks were old, several days had passed since the person passed. But the head of the expedition, Krivonos, and the leader of the detachment, Alekseev, did not lose hope.
And a miracle happened - when no one believed that the girl was alive, completely fresh footprints were found near the Khoronokh stream. All search parties were immediately deployed to the area. On July 10, 25 days after her disappearance, Natalya Kosorukova was found 75 km from the camp. Later it turned out that, given the curvilinearity of the girl’s route, in 25 days she walked about 200 km through the taiga.
To everyone's surprise, the girl was completely healthy and did not even look exhausted. At the beginning of the journey, Kosorukova had with her a small supply of crackers, matches and a magnifying glass, which can also be used to start a fire. But the matches got wet in the rain, and Natalya didn’t know how to use a magnifying glass. Therefore, all the time she ate crackers and berries found in the taiga. The girl celebrated her 18th birthday all alone in the thicket.
Natalya was taken by helicopter to the village of Nyurbu, where she was met by a joyful crowd of local residents. The student was sent to the hospital for examination. But the very next day she refused hospitalization, saying that she did not need help. Natasha’s leaders began to find out why the girl did not follow the rules and moved not along rivers and streams, but chaotically.
Everything turned out to be very simple - Kosorukova did not know about the rules of survival in the taiga. During the briefings, she had her head in the clouds and missed all the most important things. Despite the lack of knowledge, the girl decided to go out to people on her own, without relying on help. Before being sent home, the trainee made a confession that outraged absolutely everyone.
She said that at the beginning of the search she saw helicopters several times, but deliberately hid from them. The girl wanted to solve the problem herself and was afraid of responsibility for her actions. This mixture of pride, stupidity and fear cost the life of one man and paralyzed the work of hundreds of people for almost a month. Yes, she never announced the reasons for the girl’s departure from the camp.
Natasha asked not to send her to Moscow and to allow her to complete her internship on the expedition. But its leaders were adamant - there was definitely no place for her like that among geologists. Nothing is known about Kosorukova’s further fate. It is doubtful that after the incident she was allowed to connect her life with the responsible and dangerous profession of a geologist.