Two men had a terrifying near-death experience in Kerala after their car fell into a river while following directions from Google Maps. Abdul Rashid and A Thashreef were on their way to a hospital in neighboring Karnataka in the early hours of Thursday when their vehicle plunged into the river on the Pallanchi Forest road in Kasaragod.
The incident occurred around 6 am when Rashid, who was driving, followed the directions shown on Google Maps. The app indicated a narrow road, which Rashid and Thashreef drove their car through. “Using the vehicle’s headlight, we felt that there was some water in front of us. But we didn’t see a river on both sides and a bridge in the middle. There was also no sidewall for the bridge,” Rashid told PTI.
The darkness and the obscured path led to the accident. The car was swept away by the strong currents but eventually got stuck in a tree on the riverbank. Rashid and Thashreef managed to escape by lowering the side windows. They contacted their relatives who immediately alerted the fire force officials.
Fire Force personnel arrived at the scene and used ropes to rescue the two men. “We never thought that we could come back to life. We truly feel that it is a rebirth,” Rashid said.
Adding to the shock, the two men discovered that a new, taller bridge had been constructed 500 meters from the accident spot four years ago. However, Google Maps still showed the old bridge.
This incident echoes a similar event that occurred in Kerala last month. A group of tourists from Hyderabad also drove into a swollen stream near Kuruppanthara in Kottayam after relying on Google Maps. The tourists, unfamiliar with the area, were misled by the app and drove their car into the water body. They were rescued by a police patrol unit and local residents, but their vehicle was completely submerged.
These incidents highlight the importance of exercising caution while navigating using apps like Google Maps, especially in unfamiliar and potentially hazardous areas. Drivers should always prioritize safety and be aware of their surroundings, and not solely depend on technology for navigation.
