Tourist slips, falls into 600-ft gorge in Kerala
IDUKKI: Leisure trip with friends turned tragic for Thobias C C a 58-year-old man who accidentally fell into a 600 ft gorge near Chathanpara view point on the Kanjar-Vagamon route in Idukki on Thursday.
The deceased is a resident of Thoppumpadi in Kochi. He was a retired engineer with the KSEB.
Police sources say that the incident happened on Thursday by around 8.30 pm. The four member team comprising Thobias and friends had set off to Vagamon for a leisure trip on Thursday morning.
While returning back to Kochi, they stopped their car near Chathanpara viewpoint.
“The other men in the car told us that they stopped the car after they experienced a burning tyre (rubber) smell. This location of the Kanjar - Vagamon road being too narrow, the car was stopped on the edge of the road, the right side of which is a 600 ft gorge.
While the three others had went to check the tyres, Thobias, who got out of the vehicle through the right door accidentally slipped down into the gorge,” Abdul Assees, station officer at the Moolamattam station told TNIE.
He said the fire force got the emergency rescue call at 8.45 pm. “Soon after that the fire and rescue team from Moolamattam and Thodupuzha units rushed to the spot and started rescue operations,” he said
The body had fell down into a 350 ft deep area of the gorge. However, due to heavy fog, rain and darkness, it was difficult for the rescue team to find the location where the body was lying.
An effort that span up to 6 hours, the rescue team brought the deceased person’s body to the highway by around 4 am.