A 31-year-old tourist from Chennai was rescued after falling into a deep gorge at the popular Kolukkumalai hill destination near Munnar on Wednesday morning.

The injured, identified as Karthik, reportedly lost his balance after experiencing dizziness and plunged into the gorge from the Simhappara viewpoint at around 8 am. He was part of a tourist group from Tamil Nadu visiting Kolukkumalai.

A joint rescue operation by the Munnar Fire and Rescue Services and local residents lasted nearly five hours before Karthik was safely brought out from a depth of about 500 feet.

He was rushed to a private hospital in Munnar, where doctors said he had sustained a serious injury to one of his eyes. Further medical examinations are underway to assess the extent of his injuries. Officials said the timely rescue operation helped save Karthik despite the challenging terrain and the depth of the gorge.