A 28-year-old man died after the car he was travelling in plunged into a stream in Kottayam on Sunday. The deceased has been identified as Anoop, a native of Thottakkad and son of Kunjumon.

The accident happened around 4 pm when Anoop and his friends, Eby and Justin, reached a toddy shop at Kollad. While attempting to park the vehicle, the driver lost control, causing the car to veer off and fall into the nearby stream, said an official from the Kottayam East Police Station.

Local residents and those present at the spot immediately launched a rescue operation. Two occupants managed to escape after opening the car door and were pulled to safety. They did not sustain serious injuries. “It was they who informed the locals that a third person was missing,” said a Fire and Rescue official.

Efforts by the locals to rescue Anoop, who remained trapped inside the vehicle, initially proved unsuccessful. Fire and Rescue Services personnel, who arrived shortly after receiving an alert around 4.15 pm, entered the water and located him inside the submerged car. With the doors jammed, they managed to pull him out through an open window.

Officials also administered CPR at the scene before he was rushed to Kottayam District General Hospital in an ambulance. However, doctors declared him brought dead. The body has been shifted to the hospital mortuary, and a post-mortem examination is scheduled for Monday.

Police suspect the trio may have been under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident, though this is yet to be officially confirmed.
“The car has been brought close to the shore and secured to a nearby tree with a rope. It will be removed using a crane on Monday. It is yet to be determined who was driving the vehicle,” the Fire and Rescue official added.