Thodupuzha: Fr Jacob Vattappilly, the vicar of Lourdes Matha Church in Mullaringad, Vannappuram, faced a terrifying experience when his car was swept away by a swollen river. The car stalled on a flooded road and was quickly carried away by the strong currents.
Fr Jacob Vattappilly, still shaken by the harrowing experience, recalled the terrifying incident. On Friday night, torrential rains battered the region, sweeping his car into the river after it got caught in the floodwaters. Despite the front doors being jammed, Fr Jacob made a miraculous escape.
"This is the route I have taken regularly since I became the vicar of Mullaringad Church three months ago," Fr Jacob explained. "I was returning from a visit to my home in Kaliyar. The rain had been coming down heavily since 4 pm, but by the time I reached Mullaringad junction just after 7 pm, it had eased up a bit. I noticed some waterlogged areas about 300 metres from the church but thought it would not be too deep. Unfortunately, I was wrong."
"As I tried to reverse the car, the engine stalled and would not restart. Water quickly rose around the tyres, and the car began to float before it was swept into the river by the strong current."
With water rushing into the vehicle, Fr Jacob tried to open the front doors, but he couldn't. In a bid to escape, he scrambled to the back seat, forced open the rear door, and jumped into the river, grabbing hold of a nearby tree branch to save himself. Locals who witnessed the accident rushed to his aid and pulled him out of the water.
"By the time I jumped out, most of the car had already submerged," Fr Jacob recounted. "The vehicle was found about 300 metres downstream the next morning—completely wrecked." The locals worked together to retrieve the car from the river on Saturday morning.
