Man slips into Cooum from Napier bridge while clicking selfie, rescued after 8 hours

While the dynamic lighting on Napier bridge attracts a lot of visitors, the incidence of people slipping and falling into the Cooum river while taking photos and selfies are also often reported.

In the latest incident, the victim I Karthik of Periamet, a daily wage labourer, fell into the river while taking selfies lying on the bridge wall around 10 pm. Around 6 am, walkers on the stretch found the man in neck-deep water and alerted the police involved in vehicle check at War Memorial.

Sub-inspector Kumar of Anna Square police station and Grade-I constable Chinnasamy rushed to the spot and rescued him by tying a rope around his hip. Since inquiries revealed he was not drunk, police made him take bath at a common toilet and sent him home in an autorickshaw.

SI Kumar told DT Next that he did visit the bridge around 1 am to disperse those gathered there. “Not sure if the man stood in the river for eight hours, but that is what he claims,” he said.

Meanwhile, a mentally challenged person was seen standing in the Cooum river underneath the Napier bridge on Wednesday and rescued by police and Fire and Rescue personnel. “He did not slip, but walked into the river,” said an official. Another 30-year-old man was rescued from Cooum on April 12 after he slipped from Napier bridge while clicking selfies.