[1]Vijayawada: After the carriers of dollies (palenquins) deserted the 15-member group from Vijayawada that Annapurna was a part of, she did not have the time to follow them, but displayed remarkable presence of mind. She swiftly climbed a tree and kept herself above the raging waters.
Even as people and buildings were washed away, the tree held firm with Annapurna atop it. However, it took three long days before rescuers finally reached her. For those three days, she dared not come down. While she went hungry, she drank rainwater to quench her thirst.
When she noticed IAF helicopters hovering above her, she started waving out desperately. However, the fact that she was in the tree made it difficult to rescue her from the air.
Finally, on the third day, a team of soldiers reached the tree with a ladder and asked her to climb down. She was able to inform her family of her well-being from a mobile phone borrowed from a soldier.
The rescue team left her at the relief camp Nana village, from where she reached Hardwar. She reached Delhi and flew back to Hyderabad.
Links:
[1] http://archive.asianage.com/aptopix-india-floodskandjpg-476