In a spine-chilling incident, a father and his son had a providential escape after a wild elephant charged at their car and pushed it for nearly 100 metres in broad daylight. The terrifying encounter took place along the Vadaserikkara Manorama Mukku–Kumplathamon road in Kerala's Pathanamthitta district.

The occupants of the car, Kumplathamon native John M George—who is undergoing cancer treatment—and his son Lijin John, escaped without injuries. The incident occurred around 11.30 am when the duo was returning home after buying medicines from Vadaserikkara.

Lijin, who was behind the wheel, was negotiating a sharp bend when the tusker suddenly emerged from a rubber plantation on the right side of the road. Lijin slammed on the brakes immediately, but the aggressive elephant charged at the stationary hatchback, attempting to overturn it.

The animal lifted the front of the car slightly and began pushing it backward. It dragged the vehicle for nearly 100 metres. Had the elephant pushed the car just one more metre, it would have plunged into a deep wayside ravine, potentially causing fatal injuries to the passengers inside.

As the situation turned critical, Lijin kept his composure and began honking the car's horn continuously. The loud, persistent blaring of the horn eventually startled the wild elephant. The tusker then retreated down the slope towards the banks of the nearby Kallar River.

The attack left the driver-side door and window glass completely shattered. Local police, forest department officials, and members of the Vadaserikkara Panchayat administration quickly arrived at the scene after being alerted by locals.

Recalling the harrowing experience, the survivors said they are still reeling from shock. "Everything happened within a matter of seconds. As we rounded the curve, the elephant was suddenly right in front of us. The moment we stopped, the attack began. It was a heart-stopping situation where we couldn't even process what was happening. We only survived because we didn't panic and stayed inside the vehicle. While wild elephants are common in this area, we never expected to confront one like this in the middle of the day. It is a miracle that we are alive," Lijin said.