Udhagamandalam: A 28-year-old tourist who fell into a 150ft-deep gorge near Needle Rock View Point in Gudalur while attempting to take a selfie was rescued after a 10-hour struggle in the early hours of Friday.Police said the incident took place on Thursday afternoon, when Sivagurunathan, a native of Chengalpattu, visited the popular tourist spot. “He slipped and fell into the gorge while trying to take a selfie on the cliff. He sustained injuries in the fall and lost consciousness,” a police officer said. After regaining consciousness in the evening, the officer said, Sivagurunathan phoned the hotel where he was staying and alerted its management about the incident. They in turn informed the forest and fire and rescue services personnel, who rushed to the spot and secured him to a stretcher. However, they were unable to bring him out of the gorge. Officials then sought assistance from the military cantonment in Wellington. In a joint operation, rescue teams successfully reached Sivagurunathan and brought him to safety. He was immediately taken to Ooty Medical College and Hospital for treatment. Nilgiris collector Lakshmi Bhavya Tanneeru, district superintendent of police N S Nisha and district forest officer P Devaraj oversaw the rescue operation.
